Chicago City Wire

Former teacher Cheryl Perry, who retired in December 2016, saved $20,289 toward a pension over 5 years working for public schools, Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Perry would collect as much as $485,359, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes Perry received $10,201 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 2 years of retirement, Perry will have already received $20,708 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.