Illinois Valley Times

Former state school employee Debra Shevokas, who retired in May 2016, saved $80,931 toward a pension over 24 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Shevokas would collect as much as $1.51 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Illinois Valley Times.

The projection assumes Shevokas received $31,711 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Shevokas will have already received $98,015 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.