A 2005 law put the penalties in place to discourage districts from giving costly raises - any above 6 percent - that result in costlier pensions. While salaries are paid by districts, the state foots the bill for educators' retirement benefits.
Illinois penalizes districts for "pension spiking" by passing on the extra pension costs associated with hiking salaries in the years leading up to retirement.
Since 2005, the state has assessed more than $161 million in penalties, according to TRS data.
South Central Illinois pensions spiking penalties, 2005-present
Rank
District
City
Members
Amount Assessed
Payments Made
Waivers Granted
Written-off
Current Balance
1
Teachers Retirement System
Springfield
9
$211,766.06
$176,633.58
$35,132.48
2
Sandoval Community Unit School District 501
Sandoval
9
$90,290.46
$90,282.22
$8.24
3
Warren G Murray Dev Ctr
Centralia
3
$69,487.02
$68,290.04
$1,196.98
4
Bunker Hill Community Unit School District 8
Bunker Hill
14
$64,696.48
$55,021.17
$9,673.35
$1.96
5
Taylorville Community Unit School District 3
Taylorville
35
$149,416.77
$50,260.36
$99,156.41
6
Hillsboro Community Unit School District 3
Hillsboro
20
$176,767.79
$44,290.35
$132,476.10
$1.34
7
Salem Community High School District 600
Salem
16
$149,777.56
$32,279.32
$117,498.10
$0.14
8
Vandalia Community Unit School District 203
Vandalia
35
$73,073.63
$30,683.23
$32,155.98
$34.43
$10,199.99
9
Southwestern Community Unit School District 9
Brighton
10
$39,849.79
$24,772.52
$15,077.27
10
Bond County Community Unit School District No. 2
Greenville
17
$140,991.69
$23,848.54
$117,143.01
$0.14
11
Northwestern Community Unit School District 2
Palmyra
7
$41,965.19
$23,154.30
$18,810.47
$0.42
12
Gillespie Community Unit School District 7
Gillespie
6
$34,676.07
$22,200.53
$12,475.54
13
Panhandle Community Unit School District 2
Raymond
10
$21,575.43
$21,564.57
$10.86
14
Morrisonville Community Unit School District 1
Morrisonville
8
$18,091.79
$18,091.48
$0.31
15
Central CHS 71
Breese
9
$17,211.02
$17,211.02
16
Ramsey Community Unit School District 204
Ramsey
3
$17,263.28
$16,718.27
$545.01
17
North Mac Community Unit School District 34
Girard
22
$55,084.16
$16,041.43
$39,042.02
$0.71
18
Pana Community Unit School District 8
Pana
22
$203,339.21
$11,501.74
$191,833.62
$3.85
19
Oakdale Community Consolidated School District 1
Oakdale
2
$10,192.06
$10,191.78
$0.28
20
Breese SD 12
Breese
8
$8,528.76
$8,521.23
$7.53
21
Carlinville Community Unit School District 1
Carlinville
31
$20,169.77
$7,800.37
$11,620.61
$10.11
22
Litchfield Community Unit School District 12
Litchfield
34
$89,621.24
$6,799.11
$82,803.30
$18.83
23
Ashley Community Consolidated School District 15
Ashley
8
$6,710.39
$6,710.24
$0.15
24
Staunton Community Unit School District 6
Staunton
5
$11,621.42
$6,506.15
$5,115.14
$0.13
25
Edinburg Community Unit School District 4
Edinburg
3
$4,956.58
$4,955.14
$1.44
26
Calhoun-Grne-Jrsy-Macoupin ROE
Jerseyville
1
$3,889.31
$3,889.31
27
Centralia High School District 200
Centralia
4
$36,500.04
$2,889.37
$33,610.67
28
St. Elmo Community Unit School District 202
St Elmo
4
$2,840.61
$2,840.61
29
South Fork School District 14
Kincaid
3
$2,728.37
$2,728.37
30
West Washington CUSD 10
Okawville
2
$2,688.69
$2,688.52
$0.17
31
Damiansville School District 62
Damiansville
2
$2,586.77
$2,586.77
32
Odin Public School Dist 722
Odin
2
$2,373.21
$2,373.21
33
Patoka Community Unit School District 100
Patoka
5
$4,796.26
$2,127.85
$2,667.59
$0.82
34
Carlyle Community Unit School District 1
Carlyle
4
$2,009.12
$2,009.25
$(0.13)
35
Brownstown Community Unit School District 201
Brownstown
3
$1,839.48
$1,839.48
36
South Central CUSD 401
Kinmundy
13
$89,245.31
$1,183.65
$88,051.67
$9.99
37
Mt Olive USD 5
Mt Olive
11
$10,779.95
$555.92
$10,221.54
$2.49
38
Wesclin Community Unit School District 3
Trenton
3
$289.66
$286.91
$2.75
39
Willow Grove School District 46
Centralia
3
$7,948.55
$205.18
$7,743.09
$0.28
40
South Macoupin Asoc for Sp Ed
Staunton
1
$192.52
$192.52
41
Irvington Community Consolidated School District 11
Irvington
1
$164.62
$163.50
$1.12
42
Nashville Community High School District 99
Nashville
8
$82,921.24
$39.64
$82,880.65
$0.95
43
St Rose SD 14
St Rose
3
$5,927.23
$35.06
$5,892.17
44
Kaskaskia Special Education
Centralia
4
$9,895.68
$30.91
$9,864.77
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Ramsey Community Unit School District 204• Staunton Community Unit School District 6• Willow Grove School District 46• Morrisonville Community Unit School District 1 Board• South Macoupin Association for Special Education• Odin Public School• Wesclin Community Unit School District 3• Edinburg Community Unit School District 4• Patoka Community Unit School District 100• Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois• Central Chs 71• Irvington County Community Unit School District 11• Carlyle Community Unit School District 1• Panhandle Community Unit School District 2• St. Rose School District 14• Kaskaskia Special Education• Vandalia Community Unit School District 203• Warren G Murray Dev Ctr• Salem Community High School District 600• South Fork School District 14 Board• St. Elmo Community Unit School District 202• Mt Olive Usd 5• Sandoval Community Unit School District 501• Pana Community Unit School District 8• West Washington Cusd 10• Oakdale Community Consolidated School District 1• Carlinville Community Unit School District 1 Board• North Mac Community Unit School District 34• Nashville Community High School District 99 Board• Hillsboro Community Unit School District 3• Ashley Community Consolidated School District 15• Southwestern Community Unit School District 9 Board• Northwestern Community Unit School District 2 Board• Taylorville Community Unit School District 3• Damiansville School District 62• South Central Community Unit School District 401 Board• Calhoun-Grne-Jrsy-Macoupin Roe• Bunker Hill Community Unit School District 8• Gillespie Community Unit School District 7• Brownstown Community Unit School District 201• Breese School District 12 Board• Litchfield Community Unit School District 12 Board• Bond County Community Unit School District 2 Board
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