Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
To better serve the community and to achieve greater transparency in government, DeKalb Community School District 428 (“CUSD 428” or the “District”) offers a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) form and responsive documents online, as a public courtesy.
What is the Freedom of Information Act?
Citizens have a right to access public records of their governmental public bodies, including school districts. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) gives members of the public the right to file a request with a public body to inspect or receive copies of specific public records. FOIA aims to help ensure open, honest government.
Every public body must designate at least one person to act as the FOIA Officer. In addition, every public body must prominently display at its office and make available certain information, including the name(s) of its FOIA Officer(s). The office also must display and make available: information on how to submit a FOIA; and a brief description of the office, including its purpose, budget and number of employees.
To allow governmental bodies to operate efficiently and to protect personal privacy, the Act exempts (excludes) specific types of records from public release, with some general examples being medical records, student records, attorney-client privileged correspondence, staff discipline files, test questions and answers, security plans, and the minutes of closed session meetings not yet approved by Board vote for release. FOIA further does not require the public body to create documentation in response to a request. The public body is only required to supply existing records.
Description of CUSD 428
The District is organized and operates as a unit district serving the needs of children and others, as required by the Illinois School Code.
Located approximately 60 miles west of Chicago, the District provides educational opportunities to approximately 6,800 preschool through 12th grade students in 12 schools and has approximately 1,000 employees. Our District encompasses portions of the Town of Cortland, the City of DeKalb, the Village of Malta, as well as parts or all of numerous adjacent rural townships.
Our District's primary mission is to provide an equitable and inclusive education that supports students holistically, providing the tools they need to thrive by partnering with families and supporting staff to meet the needs of each of our students.
The District is governed by a Board of Education consisting of 7 members. The Board of Education’s Policy as it relates to the District’s governance can be found at 2:10 School District Governance. Official action by the Board of Education may only occur at a duly called and legally conducted meeting except as otherwise provided by in the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120).
DeKalb CUSD 428 FOIA Officer(s):
Shawna Krenz, Paralegal
Jackie Pringle, Assistant to the Superintendent
How to file a FOIA request with DeKalb CUSD 428
- By email to [email protected]
- Via fax 815-758-6933 or
- By dropping off or mailing a written request, during regular business hours Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to:
FOIA Officer for DeKalb CUSD 428
901 S. Fourth Street
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
The District’s FOIA Request Form is included here.
If an inquiry is merely a question and not a request to see a specific record/document, you will be best served by calling the District’s Education Center and asking to speak with the appropriate personnel on that topic. The number for the Education Center is 815-754-2350.
You do not need to file a FOIA unless you want to access a specific record/document.
The Board of Education’s Policy, as it relates to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, can be found at 2:250 Access to District Public Records.
FOIA Request Response time
A response from the District to a request for inspection or copying of records will be provided within five business days after receipt of the request. Day one. of the five-day period is the first business day after the request is received. The date the request was received does not count as “Day one (1)”. Said response must give the requester written notice of any existing records relevant to the request, and, if any of those records are exempt from release, the reason(s) for the exemption. Also, if within those five business days the District denies the request, it must likewise notify the requester in writing and cite the reason(s) under the law.
The District has 21 business days to respond to a request for records which will be used for "Commercial Purposes." Under FOIA, "commercial purposes" means the use of any part of a public record or documentation derived from a public record in any form for sale, resale, or solicitation or advertisement for sales or services.
FOIA Request Copying Fees
DeKalb School District will provide the first 50 black and white copies at no charge. Additional copies are $0.15 per page. The District reserves the right to charge the actual cost of reproduction for color or abnormally sized copies and for recording mediums such as discs or tapes when information is requested in electronic format.
DeKalb School District may charge up to $10.00 for each hour spent by personnel in searching for and retrieving a requested record or examining the record for necessary redactions. No fees shall be charged for the first 8 hours spent by personnel in searching for or retrieving a requested record. To the extent a fee is imposed by the District, the requester will be provided with an accounting of all fees, costs, and personnel hours.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the District’s FOIA Officer’s at (815)754-2350.
Requestor’s Right to Appeal
Pursuant to FOIA the requestor has the right to appeal the District’s response to any request. Appeals must be addressed to the Public Access Counselor (“PAC”) in the office of the Illinois Attorney General. You can contact the PAC by phone at 217-558-0486, by e-mail at [email protected] or by mail to:
Illinois Public Access Bureau
500 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62706.
CUSD 428’s Available Records
Records maintained by the District include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Monthly financial statements;
- Contracts and bids;
- Budgets;
- Annual audits, levy, collective bargaining agreements; and
- Textbook adoptions.
Records immediately and readily available to the public include, but are not limited to, the following: