Education reporter Catherine Ann Velasco was among the finalists honored at the Chicago Headline Club’s 32nd annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism at the Union League Club in Chicago.

The Herald-News filed Freedom of Information Act requests with area schools in order to gain a clearer picture of how taxpayer money is being used to pay superintendents. The base salary a superintendent earns is just a part of his or her total compensation. Stipends, annuities, unused vacation and other allowances can add thousands of dollars on top of each school chief’s base pay. Read more about the awards here…