D211 a big part of the pension problem

In the Oct. 17 edition of the Daily Herald, District 211 administrators complain about the $16 million dollar loss they contend would be incurred if the state legislature passes a bill that allocates more state money to poorer districts. Yet it is the taxpayers in these poorer districts that have been financing the bloated pensions of D211 retired educators.

D211 has been one of the biggest (if not the biggest) abuser of our educators' pension system. Back in 2009 their retirees' average pension was $80K - the highest out of the state's 871 school districts. This year their average pension is $92K. There are currently 700 retired educators from D211 and a staggering 391 of them (56%) are already receiving pensions of $100K+.

This year D211 is doling out an average of $11K in pension spikes to 83 teachers. Just as astounding is the fact that the average base salary of these 83 "retiring" teachers is $133K. The individual contribution made by theses educators along with the investment interest that this money earns is consumed in a few years. This burden is then passed on to all of the state's taxpayers - including those taxpayers in the poorer school districts. This then causes the state and its taxpayers to dump even more money into this bloated pension system and reduces the amount that can be allocated for actual education costs.

Every student in this state deserves a decent education. But this will never be attained as long as the wealthier school districts - in collaboration with their teachers union - continue to dole out wasteful "end of career" rewards to their teachers and administrators - and then expect all of the state's taxpayers to pay for the resultant bloated pensions.

Ken Hofrichter

Elk Grove Village