Chicago City Wire

Former teacher Ellen Okeefe, who retired in July 2018, saved $158,862 toward a pension over 32 years working for public schools, Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Okeefe would collect as much as $3.09 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes Okeefe received $65,018 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Okeefe will have already received $200,965 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.