SAMPLE ILLINOIS FOIA REQUEST — HOLIDAY PAY FOR ACADEMIC-YEAR ESPs

[DATE]

FOIA Officer
[SCHOOL DISTRICT NAME]
[FOIA OFFICER EMAIL OR ADDRESS]

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request — Holiday Pay for Educational Support Personnel

Dear FOIA Officer:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, I request electronic copies of the following public records for the period January 1, 2024 through the date of this request:

1. Policies, procedures, memoranda, guidance, directives, correspondence, or other records describing whether and how academic-year educational support personnel are compensated for legal or special school holidays under 105 ILCS 5/24-2.

2. Records sufficient to show which classifications of educational support personnel receive paid holidays, the holidays for which they receive compensation, and how the amount of holiday pay is calculated.

3. Collective-bargaining agreements, side letters, memoranda of understanding, employee handbooks, pay calendars, work calendars, or similar documents that address holiday pay for educational support personnel.

4. Records showing any change made on or after January 1, 2024 to payroll practices, work calendars, annualization formulas, or compensation practices because of or in response to Public Act 103-0395 or 105 ILCS 5/24-2.

5. Communications between district administrators, board members, legal counsel, payroll personnel, or labor representatives concerning the application of Public Act 103-0395 or 105 ILCS 5/24-2 to educational support personnel.

To reduce burden, I am not requesting individual employees’ names, home addresses, banking information, Social Security numbers, or other personal identifying information. Employee-level pay records may be de-identified if necessary while preserving job classification, scheduled workdays or hours, holiday hours, pay codes, rates, and amounts.

Please provide the records electronically by email or download link. If any portion is withheld or redacted, please identify the specific statutory exemption claimed and release all reasonably segregable nonexempt material. If you anticipate fees, please provide an itemized estimate before incurring them.

If the scope of this request is unclear or could be narrowed without losing the requested information, please contact me before denying the request.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR EMAIL]
[OPTIONAL MAILING ADDRESS]

NOTE: This sample is provided for general informational purposes. It is not legal advice. Adapt it to the records you actually seek and consult the Illinois Attorney General’s FOIA guidance or an attorney if you need help with a particular request.