Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Marie Zelek, who retired in May 2016, saved $90,028 toward a pension over 18 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Zelek would collect as much as $1.83 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Zelek received $38,559 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Zelek will have already received $119,182 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.