The top 50 highest-paid teachers in Zion-Benton Township HSD 126 each earned more than $84,000 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, Elise Helland, a teacher at Zion-Benton Township High School at 3901 21st St., received $139,698.14, the highest full adjusted pay among all teachers in the district.
Included in that amount was $30,467.14 in taxpayer-funded benefits, $11,333.04 in retirement benefits, and $19,134.10 in other benefits.
Overall, the total amount Zion-Benton Township HSD 126 spent on its 50 highest-paid teachers in 2014 was $5,016,586.20.
Zion-Benton Township HSD 126 had 162 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.
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