West Central Reporter

Former state school employee Holly Vanhootegem, who retired in May 2018, saved $57,693 toward a pension over 14 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Vanhootegem would collect as much as $716,320, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes West Central Reporter.

The projection assumes Vanhootegem received $15,056 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 4 years of retirement, Vanhootegem will have already received $62,989 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.