Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Elaine Baxter, who retired in December 2016, saved $8,536 toward a pension over 6 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Baxter would collect as much as $537,786, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Baxter received $11,303 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 1 years of retirement, Baxter will have already received $11,303 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.