Quantcast

Rock Island Today

Friday, April 19, 2024

Records show how much Quad Cities school districts have paid for spiking teacher pensions ahead of retirement

Test 13

Out of school districts in Quad Cities, Moline USD 40 paid the most in penalties since 2005 for spiking employee salaries to boost outgoing teachers' retirement benefits, according to data obtained from the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois.

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.

Quad Cities pensions spiking penalties, 2005-present

Rank
District
City
Members
Amount Assessed
Payments Made
Waivers Granted
Written-off
Current Balance
1
Moline USD 40
Moline
157
$526,482.43
$158,590.11
$367,799.23
$131.37
2
Rockridge Community Unit School District 300
Taylor Ridge
32
$178,182.94
$141,490.97
$36,684.06
$7.91
3
Rock Island Milan School District 41
Rock Island
38
$89,281.65
$88,179.04
$1,087.78
$14.83
4
United Township High School District 30
East Moline
23
$203,509.52
$60,929.33
$142,569.31
$10.88
5
East Moline School District 37
East Moline
48
$316,175.82
$56,810.51
$259,365.04
$0.27
6
Riverdale Community Unit School District 100
Port Byron
21
$256,588.19
$15,081.50
$241,504.80
$1.89
7
Carbon Cliff-Barstow School District 36
Silvis
3
$11,633.22
$11,633.22
8
Orion Community Unit School District 223
Orion
18
$72,301.21
$6,255.15
$66,044.20
$1.86
9
Annawan Community Unit School District 226
Annawan
4
$5,912.19
$5,912.05
$0.14
10
Kewanee Community Unit School District 229
Kewanee
11
$30,102.70
$5,750.42
$24,351.70
$0.58
11
Galva Community Unit School District 224
Galva
6
$12,792.22
$5,254.47
$7,537.75
12
Mercer County SD 404
Aledo
20
$56,661.06
$2,272.80
$54,382.74
$5.52
13
Sherrard Community Unit School District 200
Sherrard
10
$75,316.23
$2,124.96
$73,189.90
$1.37
14
Black Hawk Area Special Educ
East Moline
4
$1,396.62
$1,395.27
$1.35
15
Alwood Community Unit School District 225
Woodhull
14
$177,540.90
$1,179.55
$176,355.98
$5.37
16
Wethersfield Community Unit School District 230
Kewanee
2
$926.30
$926.30
17
Colona School District 190
Colona
4
$891.67
$891.26
$0.41
18
Hampton School District 29
Hampton
2
$688.72
$686.73
$1.99
19
Henry - Stark Co Spec Ed Dist
Kewanee
7
$99.57
$81.16
$18.41
20
Silvis School District 34
East Moline
7
$10,147.55
$32.38
$10,114.89
$0.28

MORE NEWS