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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Records show how much SW Illinois school districts have paid for spiking teacher pensions ahead of retirement

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Out of school districts in SW Illinois, Red Bud Community Unit School District 132 paid the most in penalties since 2005 for spiking employee salaries to boost outgoing teachers' retirement benefits, according to data obtained from the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois.

A 2005 law put the penalties in place to discourage districts from giving costly raises - any above 6 percent - that result in costlier pensions. While salaries are paid by districts, the state foots the bill for educators' retirement benefits.

Illinois penalizes districts for "pension spiking" by passing on the extra pension costs associated with hiking salaries in the years leading up to retirement.

Since 2005, the state has assessed more than $161 million in penalties, according to TRS data.

SW Illinois pensions spiking penalties, 2005-present

Rank
District
City
Members
Amount Assessed
Payments Made
Waivers Granted
Written-off
Current Balance
1
Red Bud Community Unit School District 132
Red Bud
11
$164,400.04
$27,020.31
$137,379.73
2
Columbia Community Unit School District No. 4
Columbia
19
$26,522.58
$26,520.89
$1.69
3
Chester Community Unit School District 139
Chester
12
$43,172.56
$20,703.21
$22,466.87
$2.48
4
Waterloo Community Unit School District 5
Waterloo
14
$47,172.17
$16,911.30
$30,260.87
5
Sparta Community Unit School District 140
Sparta
14
$115,394.91
$13,934.90
$101,458.77
$1.24
6
Valmeyer Community Unit School District 3
Valmeyer
5
$17,441.67
$13,410.60
$4,031.20
$(0.13)
7
Monroe-Randolph Counties ROE
Waterloo
3
$7,542.18
$7,542.18
8
Coulterville Unit School District 1
Coulterville
4
$30,547.65
$4,958.41
$25,589.24
9
Community CSD 204
Pinckneyville
4
$3,952.84
$3,952.84
10
Tamaroa SD 5
Tamaroa
1
$3,305.07
$3,305.07
11
Steeleville Community Unit School District 138
Steeleville
6
$40,305.42
$1,657.21
$38,641.82
$6.39
12
Duquoin Community Unit School District 300
Du Quoin
3
$1,290.89
$1,290.89
13
Prairie Du Rocher Community Consolidated School District 134
Prairie Du Rocher
1
$296.01
$296.01

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