The top 20 highest-paid teachers in Riverdale CUSD 100 each earned more than $76,000 in total compensation in 2014, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
The amount reflects teachers' full adjusted pay - a calculation which includes benefits and all pension contributions by taxpayers for each teacher, and reflects a full year of work instead of the nine months teachers actually worked.
Records show that in 2014, Melinda J. Simpson, a teacher at Riverdale Elementary School at 9624 256th St. N., received $129,255.24, the highest full adjusted pay among all teachers in the district.
Included in that amount was $70,723.24 in taxpayer-funded benefits, $61,798.40 in retirement benefits, and $8,924.84 in other benefits.
Overall, the total amount Riverdale CUSD 100 spent on its 20 highest-paid teachers in 2014 was $1,710,731.90.
Riverdale CUSD 100 had 71 teachers in 2014.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 Census American Community Survey, the median household income for Illinois was $57,444 in 2014.
ISBE is responsible for administering public education in Illinois and consists of nine board members appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate.
*Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly noted the teacher benefits data was from fiscal year 2015 when it was actually from fiscal year 2014. We have updated the story accordingly.