Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Susan Thornquist, who retired in June 2016, saved $138,557 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, Thornquist would collect as much as $2.54 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Thornquist received $53,326 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Thornquist will have already received $164,826 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.