Freedom of Information
FOIA is the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), records in possession of public agencies may be accessed by the public upon written request. Pursuant to 5 ILCS 140, Section 2(c), a public record is any records, reports, forms, writings, letters, memoranda, books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings, electronic data processing records, recorded information and all other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, having been prepared, or having been or being used, received, possessed or under the control of any public body. Records that are not subject to release via the FOIA process include confidential and trade secret information.
For additional information on FOIA, click here.
Mr. Camer's request for utility invoices for the most recent 12 months, including electricity, natural gas, fuel oil/propane, and water, where applicable and the most recent final copy of a facility/building condition assessment, deferred maintenance report, facility master plan, long-range facility master plan, and/or capital improvement/investment plan relating to district facilities, energy audit, energy assessment, ASHRAE audit, energy-conservation student, performance-contracting feasibility assessment or similar facility-energy report if completed, received, or adopted on or after January 1, 2020.
Cost to Produce: $100
Mrs. Howard's request for all forms of communication re: Coordinator role, Staff Mental Health Crisis support, School Board visits, Role/Position/Staffing Decisions, Mentorship/Collaborating Teacher and Student & Staff Safety Concerns.
Cost to Produce: $160
Mr. Henry's request for the names of law firms who currently provide or have provided legal services to the district in the last eight years, current agreements or fee schedules in the past three fiscal years, and the total amount paid to each law firm in the past three fiscal years.
Cost to Produce: $60
Jules Goonewardena's request for all email communication referencing "Steve Lefko" within the date range of January 1, 2023 to the date the request was processed.
Cost to Produce: $20
Oshea Smith's request for an electronic summary of purchase orders issued by Morton Community Unit School District 709 from July 1, 2025 through February, 28, 2026.
Cost to Produce: $20
Mr. Wenig's request for all purchase orders and/or payment records for non-person/vendor entities, such as companies, organizations, or contractors from January 1, 2025 to current date.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Mills' request for individuals who oversee curriculum, technology, library/media services, and ELL programs.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mrs. Woodmancy's request for all forms of communication received or sent about "Tammy Woodmancy", "Tamara Woodmancy", or "TW", about "Ronda Howard", "Rhonda Howard", or "RH", about "Emily Emery" or "EE", and about "Ronda Ross", "Rhonda Ross", or "RR".
Cost to Produce: $80
Mr. Arvayo's request for information related to the 2026 Jr High renovations and LB window replacement project, including contracts awarded, identified stakeholders, bid documents, meeting dates, sign-in sheets for pre-bid and bid meeting, invoices, payroll records, and subcontractors.
Cost to Produce: $80
Mr. Khan's request, on behalf of Civic IQ Inc, for purchasing records from 1/1/2022 to 3/10/2026.
Cost to Produce: $40
Ms. Cullett's request for the most recent Application for Waiver on State Board Rules and Mandates, specific to non-resident tuition waivers for children of district employees.
Cost to Produce: $20
Judiciocracy LLC and the affiliate organization of the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy's request for attorney bills and attorney engagement agreements.
Cost to Produce: $20
Sunlight Access' request for the most recent contracts, agreements, amendments, and renewals between the school district and the following vendors: Mastery Prep, Albert.io, IXL, Edgenuity, Khan Academy, Jumpstart, Texas College Bridge, Kaplan, Princeton Review, UWorld, Cambridge Educational Services, Schmoop, Progress Learning, and HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) between Janaury 1, 2021 through January 29, 2026.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Henry's follow-up request to the initial FOIA on background check compliance for school board members.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Henry's non-commercial request for documentation showing the district complied with Illinois law regarding background checks for board members, background reports of board members since 2010, copies of all bonds sold by the district since 2019, and the name of the law firm used by the district from 2019 to the current date.
Cost to Produce: $40
Sheri Reid's commercial request for general purchasing records from 9/16/2025 to 1/7/2026.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Langer and Mr. Steinberg's request on behalf of the Freedom from Religion Foundation for communication by or to Valerie Smith between July 29-August 5, 2025, August 29-September 2, 2025, September 30-October 7, 2025, and December 1-4, 2025 concerning the practice of prayer at school board meetings, which include key terms “prayer,” “invocation,” “pastor,” “church,” “priest,” “God,” or “Lord.
Cost to Produce: $80
Mr. Miller's request for purchasing and contract approval thresholds.
Cost to Produce: $20
Mr. Durbin's request for communications from IHSA, Scott Jones, opposing school and coaches, officials, and all other related communications related to the Chicago Phillips vs. Morton game on 11/26/22.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Arvayo's request for facilities built before 1978, lead test results, lead authorization documents, EPA-required records for related projects, staff and staff training certifications for lead based hazards, BLL and ZPP test results, and lead abatement contracts.
Cost to Produce: $20
Mrs. Woodmancy's request for original emails and responses to requestor from Dr. Smock regarding the board’s authority to issue a permanent ban from school board meetings, following the issuance of the ban, original email and responses to requestor from Dr Smock regarding “disparaging (709) employees” and mention of potential lawsuits, the original email and responses from Michael Saunders to Dr Smock and others, including the comment “the pot calling the kettle black”, and the preservation of the recording from the due process hearing.
Cost to Produce: $60
Mr. Wenig's request for purchasing records from July 1, 2022 to present.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Watts' request for employee names, job title/role, work email addresses, worksite, and current annual salary.
Cost to Produce: $40
Mr. Wiegand's request for personnel file documents related to specific items including discharge, disciplinary action, substitute handbook with policies and procedures, documented complaints, documents related to Morton Foundation, documents related to conversations with Asst Supt Sander, and performance evaluations.
Cost to Produce: $60
Mr. Langer and Mr. Joshi's request on behalf of the Freedom from Religion Foundation for communication by or to Valerie Smith between July 29-August 5, 2025 and August 29-September 2, 2025 and communication by the Board of Education members between August 1 and September 2, 2025 regarding the Board of Education's invocation practices which include key terms "invocation", "prayer", "pray", "church", "pastor", and "local".
Cost to Produce: $100
Sheri Reid's commercial request for general purchasing records from 5/23/2025 to current date - 9/12/2025.
Cost to Produce: $40
Christopher Miller's request for records of district purchases or contracts from 2024-present for the core curriculum, instructional technology, and common assessment software.
Cost to Produce: $40
Bryan Groth's request for formal contracts between Morton 709 and Morton Park District, Morton Chamber of Commerce, and Youth Music Illinois, and boundaries of Morton 709 properties used for "festival grounds", parade staging and viewing, and Pumpkin Classic.
Cost to Produce: $40
Kristin Wong's request for Elementary School Boundary Information.
Cost to Produce: $20
Tamarra Woodmancy's request for "all communications, including emails, memos, text messages, or other messaging applications, sent or received by any Morton 709 staff member or board member from May 1st, 2021 to June 30th, 2021 with any of the following key phrases: “Tamara Woodmancy” OR “Tammy Woodmancy” OR “[email protected]” OR “[email protected]” OR “[email protected]”.
Cost to Produce: $20
Lee Braun's request for: starting, wage table and benefit information for Support Staff Personnel at your School District. This would include Bus Drivers, Bus Monitors, Secretaries, Paraprofessionals, Interventionists and Library Personnel.
Cost to Produce: $20
Trent Riekena's request for: "a copy of all communications with the following keywords for the dates of June 1-June 3, 2025: “Tammy Woodmancy” OR “woodmancy” OR “Tamara Woodmancy”.
Cost to produce: $40
Ms. Woodmancy's request for the verbiage on the cards given to everyone entering the board meeting on June 10th, 2025.
Cost to Produce: $20
Brian Groth's request for: Under the IL Freedom of Information Act, I hereby make this non-commercial request for to all district communications
(emails, memos, text messages, etc.) sent to or received by any past or present Morton CUSD #709 personnel or board
members for the time period of November 1st, 2021 to April 30th, 2022 containing one or more of the following phrases or email addresses:"Tammy Woodmancy", "Tamara Woodmancy", "[email protected]", [email protected],[email protected]"
Cost to Produce: $40
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing records from 8/23/24 to the present. The previous request made by Sheri provided earlier records.
Cost to Produce: $20
David Arvayo's request for: I request a copy of purchase invoices for any recent paint purchases made by the school district to maintain or improve school district buildings or facilities (i.e., painting classrooms, cafeteria, gym, hallways, walls, structural steel, door frames, ceilings, concrete floors, swimming pools, etc.). I do not request information regarding paint purchases made to maintain non-building related property or projects (i.e., painting or maintaining cars, school buses, stripping athletic fields, art class projects, etc.).
In addition, I request a list of painting, drywall finishing (taping drywall), or glazing projects (glass window, glass door, or related hardware installation) scheduled to start within the next twelve months. This request is specific to facility improvement, maintenance, or construction projects that include painting, drywall finishing, glazing projects or contracts planned as referenced above.
Cost to Produce: $40
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing records from 8/23/24 to the present. On 12/5/24, we provided Sheri with the records from 8/23/24-11/27/24, so these records are from 11/28/24 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Retirees
Sheila Norman's request for certified staff retiring this year. Bob Becker, Julie Horchem, Kim Knox, and Craig Smock are our retirees this year. Their contact information is available in our staff directory.
Cost to produce: $40
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 8/23/2024 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Bryan Groth's request for texts, emails, letters, reports, meeting minutes, and memos which contain "lifewise" or "life wise".
Cost to Produce: $80
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 5/21/2024 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Elaine Hopkins requested all emails and documents with the name 'Bryan Groth' in them.
Cost to Produce: $160
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 12/01/2023 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Molly Hudgens request for information related to transportation.
Cost to Produce: $80
This is a non-commercial information request per the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Please provide the following documentation:
A list, in Microsoft Excel, of all school district employees in transportation positions, including but not limited to Bus Driver, Bus Monitor, and Bus Aide, current as of the date of this request, with the following columns:
Employee Name
Job Title
Part-time or full-time status
Standard weekly hours
Annual budgeted hours
Hourly rate
Hire date
Union representing job title, where applicable
PDF copies of any contract between the school district and any private company providing the staffing for the district’s transportation (for example, contracts with Illinois Central School Bus Company or First Student Bus Company).
David Arvayo's request for: I request a copy of invoices/receipts for paint purchases made and/or paid by Morton Unit School District 709 over the past five years:
Paint (protective/decorative coatings). Examples of protective/decorative coatings: Wall paints, ceiling paints, enamel paints, drywall primer, all-purpose primer, protective industrial coatings, epoxy coatings, urethane coatings, drywall structural coatings, block filler, varnishes, stains, etc.
Cost to Produce: $40
Speak Out Illinois's request for:
We are requesting copies of Staff Emails pertaining to STUDENTS who identify as LGBTIQA. These emails would be described as discriminatory towards students, derogatory statements about students, and or Information/Statistics relating to Complaints of Bullying by an LGBTQIA student.
We are also seeking an Official Letter from the District Superintendent or Principal on the Schools Current Status of Bullying in the School, What the School is doing to Prevent Bullying and or Violence between Students and Staff along with Student-to-Student Procedures.
Cost to Produce: $40
Heather McMeekan's request for: All emails, texts, memos, and announcements in the School Board
member's accounts, Superintendent Smock's, and Principal Saunders' emails with any of the
following keywords/phrases for the period of Aug 1, 2023 - September 19, 2023, with "Gay," "McMeekan," "LGBTQ," "Moms for Prayer," "Colorful Flag," "Ten Commandments," "IL Eagle," and "Moms for Liberty."
Cost to Produce: $640
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 12/01/2023 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Retirees
Nathan Mihelich's request for certified staff retiring this year. Darren Hurst and Peter Marting are our two retirees this year. Their contact information is available in our staff directory.
Cost to Produce: $40
Elaine Hopkins request for the draft of Board Policy 2:230.
Cost to Produce: $40
Jami Sheridan's request for emails from Dr. Smock and Aaron Rowe from February 12, 2023 - April 30, 2023, containing "Sara Gray".
Cost to Produce: $160
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 9/06/2023 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Reading Curriculum Materials
Katherine Casey's request for curriculum and the date purchased. Fountas and Pinnell Resources are used in K-6th grades. The first of the purchases was in 2016. There are no plans for additional resources as of today.
Cost to Produce: $20
Heather McMeekan's request for:
All emails, texts, memos, and announcements in the School Board member’s accounts, Superintendent Smock’s, Assistant Superintendent Teater, and Principal Saunders’ digital/electronic communication devices with any of the following keywords/phrases for the period of August 15, 2023, to Sept 1, 2023, EXCLUDING SPAM: Gay, McMeekan, LGBTQ, “Moms for Prayer”, “Colorful Flag”, “Ten Commandments”, “IL Eagle”, “Moms for Liberty”, “Groth”, and “Woodmancy”.
Cost to Produce: $200
Tara Valentino's request for:
All emails sent FROM the emails of Ward-Grundy Principal Saunders, Superintendent Smock, and Board Member Diane Krall for the time period January 1, 2023 - February 28, 2023 containing any of the following key words/phrases: “LGBT”, “LGBTQ”, “Gay”, “Moms for Prayer”, “Moms for Liberty”, “Bible”, “Pride Flag”, “Christ”, “sin”, “sinner”
Cost to Produce: $240
Heather McMeekan's request for:
"All emails, texts, memos, announcements in the School Board member’s accounts, Superintendent Smock’s and Principal Saunders’ emails with any of the following keywords/phrases for the period of Sept 1, 2023 - Present: Gay, McMeekan, LGBTQ, “Moms for Prayer”, “Colorful Flag”, “Ten Commandments”, “IL Eagle”, “Moms for Liberty”'
Cost to Produce: $400
Jami DeChaney Sheridan's request for:
"All texts, memos, announcements, and emails in the School Board Members accounts, Principal Michael Saunders's accounts and Dr. Craig Smock's accounts with the following keyword/phrase from August 1, 2023 to present: "Moms In Prayer" "
Cost to Produce: $320
Ms. Sheridan's request for MHS end-of-year surveys.
Cost to Produce: $20
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 6/02/2023 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Heather McMeekan's request for all emails to/from Mr. Saunders in March 2023 containing the terms "Black Lives Matter", "CRT", "LGBTQ", "gay", and "colorful flag".
Cost to Produce: $400
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 2/027/2023 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 12/02/2022 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Nathan Mihelich's request for the names of certified staff members retiring.
Sheri Reid's request for purchasing information from 8/26/2022 to the present.
Cost to Produce: $20
Sheri Reid's request for vendor records from 7/25/2022 to current.
Paul Eichhorn's request for bid documents, contracts, invoices, receipts, and payroll for maintenance performed by Johnson Mechanical.
Nathan Mihelich's request for any teacher who has announced their retirement.
Shawn Durbin's multiple requests between May 4, 2022, and May 9, 2022, regarding surety bonds, Title IX emails, lacrosse coop emails, and IHSA response.
Mr. Shaun Durbin's request for messages between the administrators and the school board.
Adam Estep's request for information related to the district's surety bond.
Cost to Process $80
Nathan Mihelich's request for the district's certified staff that are retiring this year.
Vince Espi's requests for all positive test results and close contacts for staff and students reported to the local health department.
Zoe Yalcin's request for purchasing records from 6/04/2021 to present.
Ms. Hansen's request for information related to our Special Education program.
Paul Eichhorn's request for sheet metal contractors for the last three years.
Nathan Mihelich's request for the 2020 retirees.
Cost to Produce: $40
Bethany Simpson's request for PO's April 2018 - July 2018.
Cost to Process: $60
Chris Lanphear's request for a list of vendors that have been awarded through the bid/RFP process.
List
Cost to Process: $40
Nathan Mihelich's request for the 2019 retiree's name and email address.
Retirees
Cost to Process: $40
Jodi Cohen's request for records related to "isolated time out" and "restraints".
William Cadigan's request for contracts for athletic training and/or therapy services.
Miles Essner's request for information on our athletic programs.
Josh Fine's request for information on our 11-man high school football program.
Bethany Simpson's request for PO's April 2018 - July 2018.
Cost to Process: $60
Bethany Simpson's request for purchasing records from December 2017 to present.
Cost to process: $60
Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley's request for information regarding our school resource officer.
Cost to process: $40
Nathan Mihelich's request for the teacher and administrator retirees.
Cost to Produce: $40
David King's request for the six comparison school districts involved with the Morton Moving Forward presentations.
Cost to Produce: $40
Stephen Chichelli"s, from SmartProcure, request for purchasing records from January 1, 2013 to present.
Cost to Produce: $80
Rosa Garza's, Parent's Foundation for Education, requests for employee information. Specifically requested was: Campus (or office building name, for staff), First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Position, Grade Level(for teachers), Subject Area taught (for teachers), Certified in Area of Instruction (for teachers), Home Address, School Email, Personal Email, Personal Phone Number, Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Hire Date, Years of Experience, Current Salary, Response
Cost to process: $40
Alejandro Garcia's, Parent's Foundation for Education, requests for employee information. Specifically requested was: Campus (or office building name, for staff), First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Position, Grade Level(for teachers), Subject Area taught (for teachers), Certified in Area of Instruction (for teachers), Home Address, School Email, Personal Email, Personal Phone Number, Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Hire Date, Years of Experience, Current Salary
Cost to process: $40
East Peoria Insulation Inc.
Johnson & Kroll, LLC's request for any certified payroll records submitted by East Peoria Insulation Inc. A response was sent indicating that we have received no records from them.
Cost to process: $40
North American Procurement Council's request for the list of plan-holders fro the video server replacement with a bid date of 05/30/2017.
Cost to Process: $40
James Bachman's request for names and district email address for all retiring Illinois educators and a complete list of email address for all employees. The email addresses are available on the district website and the retirees are listed in this document.
Cost to Process: $40
Mark McArthy's request for all invoices paid to Stephens Electric between 2014 to present.
Cost to Process: $80
Kimberly Budnick's request for the email that was sent to District 709, from an entity posing as Dr. Lindsey Hall, requesting the W-2 information for 2016.
Cost to Process: $40
Lindsey "Otte" Banchak's request for our current athletic trainer contract.
Cost to Process: $40
Bill Welk's request for information regarding the purchase of parking lot.
Cost to process: $40