Hold school districts accountable for ‘sweet’ union deals

I was pleased to read in the Daily Herald on May 10, the article on how the Illinois Policy Institute was in sync with Gov. Quinn’s pension plan to gradually shift payments for the retirement system back to the local taxing bodies over a three-year period.

In a study released by the Illinois Policy on May 2, an immediate fire storm of protest erupted from the head of the Illinois Education Association and a spokesman for the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) over the claim that two-thirds of school districts outside of Chicago pay little to nothing toward their own retirements. The TRS spokesman later conceded the point.

The state of Illinois is on the hook to pay for the entire TRS “employer” pension contributions. Because the state is obligated to pay in full the “employer” share of TRS pensions payments, the state has less money available to its General State Aid funding program set up to counter inequalities in school districts where property taxes fail to generate what is considered the bast amount needed to educate each student.

In my own Lake Forest District 115 during this current school year, 93 teachers made over $100,000 and many more earned over $90,000, not including extra bonuses paid and health care coverage. Soon to retire superintendent, Dr. Harry Griffith, as the highest-paid superintendent in the state of Illinois, made close to $400,000 with added perks and benefits. Local taxpayers should care!

Every unit of government is responsible for paying the ‘employer share’ of pension costs. Only in K-12 education outside of Chicago is this not done.

Nancy J. Thorner

Lake Bluff