The top 50 highest paid teachers in Ottawa ESD 141 each earned more than $73,000 in total compensation in 2014, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
The amount reflects teachers' full adjusted pay — a calculation which includes benefits and all pension contributions by taxpayers for each teacher, and reflects a full year of work instead of the nine months teachers actually worked.
Records show that in 2014, Kevin R. Evensen, a teacher at McKinley Elem School located at 320 W. Main St., received $106,593.72, the highest full adjusted pay among all teachers in the district.
Included in that amount was $29,723.72 in taxpayer-funded benefits, $7,975.40 in retirement benefits, and $21,748.32 in other benefits.
Overall, the total amount Ottawa ESD 141 spent on its 50 highest paid teachers in 2014 was $4,161,395.91.
Ottawa ESD 141 had 140 teachers in 2014.
According to the United States Census Bureau's 2014 Census American Community Survey (ACS), the median household income for Illinois was $57,444 in 2014.
ISBE is responsible for administering public education in Illinois and consists of nine board members appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate.
*Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly noted the teacher benefits data was from fiscal year 2015 when it was actually from fiscal year 2014. We have updated the story accordingly.