Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Deborah Cota, who retired in June 2017, saved $144,301 toward a pension over 31 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Cota would collect as much as $3.66 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Cota received $76,861 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 2 years of retirement, Cota will have already received $156,028 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.