Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee John Pape, who retired in May 2017, saved $232,854 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, Pape would collect as much as $5.22 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Pape received $109,716 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Pape will have already received $339,120 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.