Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Karen Westendorf, who retired in May 2016, saved $200,140 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, Westendorf would collect as much as $4.59 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Westendorf received $96,486 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Westendorf will have already received $298,229 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.