Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Catherine Lenahan, who retired in May 2016, saved $168,481 toward a pension over 35 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Lenahan would collect as much as $3.53 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Lenahan received $74,155 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Lenahan will have already received $229,206 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.