Out of school districts in Lake County, North Chicago School District 187 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.
Lake County pensions spiking penalties, 2005-present
Rank
District
City
Members
Amount Assessed
Payments Made
Waivers Granted
Written-off
Current Balance
1
North Chicago School District 187
North Chicago
95
$654,829.82
$411,687.62
$243,124.09
$18.11
2
Round Lake Area SD 116
Round Lake
83
$548,958.91
$369,143.21
$176,700.05
$19.42
3
Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73
Vernon Hills
50
$353,704.11
$331,437.63
$22,255.70
$10.78
4
Deerfield School District 109
Deerfield
56
$273,859.26
$223,561.18
$50,258.23
$39.85
5
Libertyville CHSD 128
Vernon Hills
27
$962,377.21
$141,232.62
$821,144.46
$0.13
6
Libertyville District 70
Libertyville
15
$217,410.24
$135,453.03
$81,956.67
$0.54
7
Mundelein CHSD 120
Mundelein
37
$182,054.10
$125,999.63
$56,051.42
$3.05
8
Gurnee School District 56
Gurnee
29
$128,324.54
$102,225.14
$26,088.88
$10.52
9
Warren Township High School District 121
Gurnee
28
$366,524.29
$96,351.97
$270,165.26
$7.06
10
Wauconda Community Unit School District 118
Wauconda
41
$148,939.18
$80,588.28
$68,264.21
$86.69
11
Grayslake Community High School District 127
Grayslake
18
$75,835.96
$75,833.08
$2.88
12
SEJA 804 NSSED
Highland Park
32
$111,223.93
$69,963.14
$41,252.90
$7.89
13
Grant Community High School District 124
Fox Lake
17
$249,367.62
$64,552.73
$184,814.58
$0.31
14
Grayslake Community Consolidated School District 46
Grayslake
21
$77,599.40
$61,069.78
$10,135.40
$11.84
$6,382.38
15
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126
Zion
21
$182,733.37
$60,398.14
$122,334.19
$1.04
16
Lincolnshire-Prairie View 103
Lincolnshire
35
$113,476.59
$60,329.78
$53,126.72
$20.09
17
Fox Lake Grade SD 114
Spring Grove
14
$137,675.26
$58,388.53
$79,285.89
$0.84
18
Special Ed Dist of Lake County
Gages Lake
61
$58,217.65
$52,804.71
$5,387.41
$25.53
19
Lake Forest Community High School District 115
Lake Forest
21
$115,972.86
$50,153.48
$65,818.45
$0.93
20
Lake Forest School District 67
Lake Forest
17
$303,162.35
$46,784.91
$256,376.88
$0.56
21
Community High School Dist 117
Lake Villa
22
$166,941.01
$42,443.57
$124,495.43
$2.01
22
Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50
Gurnee
58
$342,091.76
$41,345.71
$300,725.51
$20.54
23
Lake County ROE
Grayslake
4
$40,735.58
$40,735.58
24
Highland Park TWP HSD 113
Highland Park
40
$78,015.01
$34,881.76
$12.82
$43,120.43
25
Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3
Zion
37
$118,939.36
$34,833.57
$84,081.41
$24.38
26
Diamond Lake School District 76
Mundelein
11
$101,768.42
$31,901.47
$69,699.18
$1.70
$166.07
27
Lake Bluff Elementary SD 65
Lake Bluff
13
$72,686.89
$29,686.24
$42,997.51
$3.14
28
Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34
Antioch
19
$33,417.06
$17,530.20
$15,886.33
$0.53
29
Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95
Lake Zurich
27
$241,106.19
$16,802.46
$224,300.69
$3.04
30
Zion Elementary SD 6
Zion
21
$412,907.05
$15,389.55
$397,514.30
$3.20
31
Oak Grove School District 68
Libertyville
4
$13,954.39
$13,954.39
32
Gavin School District 37
Ingleside
11
$48,697.14
$12,633.40
$36,063.74
33
Big Hollow School District 38
Ingleside
5
$13,641.46
$8,290.63
$5,350.83
34
Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41
Lake Villa
16
$48,134.37
$7,657.41
$40,475.87
$1.09
35
Emmons School District 33
Antioch
7
$17,478.94
$7,347.77
$10,128.94
$2.23
36
Aptakisic Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102
Buffalo Grove
27
$525,630.01
$5,904.23
$519,723.07
$2.71
37
Rondout School District 72
Lake Forest
3
$5,771.20
$5,771.20
38
Lake County Area Vocational
Grayslake
6
$7,744.33
$5,745.83
$1,998.50
39
Fremont School District 79
Mundelein
14
$66,453.47
$5,597.72
$60,847.57
$8.18
40
Prairie Crossing
Grayslake
2
$5,227.07
$5,227.07
41
Grass Lake School District 36
Antioch
4
$4,070.06
$4,070.06
42
Winthrop Harbor School District 1
Winthrop Harbor
4
$7,632.12
$3,034.76
$4,597.36
43
Mundelein Elementary SD 75
Mundelein
6
$19,272.41
$3,027.06
$16,245.35
44
Millburn Community Consolidated School District 24
Wadsworth
16
$294.43
$279.39
$15.04
45
Bannockburn School District 106
Bannockburn
2
$99.29
$98.82
$0.47
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Gavin School District 37 Board• Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3 Board• North Chicago School District 187• Lake County Area Vocational• Grant Community High School District 124• Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 Board• Highland Park Twp Hsd 113• Big Hollow School District 38 Board• Lake County Roe• Vernon Hills Community High School District 128• Lincolnshire Prairie View School District 103• Grass Lake School District 36 Board• Deerfield School District 109• Emmons School District 33• Fox Lake Grade School District 114• Rondout School District 72• Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District Board• Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65• Special Education District Of Lake County• Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 Board• Millburn Community Consolidated School District 24• Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120• Oak Grove School District 68• Lake Forest Community High School District 115• Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41• Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 Board• Fremont School District 79• Diamond Lake School District 76 Board• Mundelein Elementary School District 75• Gurnee School District 56• Grayslake Community High School District 127• Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73 Board• Bannockburn School District 106• Round Lake Community Unit School District 116 Board• Winthrop Harbor School District 1 Board• Grayslake Consolidated Community School District 46 Board• Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 Board• Prairie Crossing School District• Lake Forest School District 67• Seja 804 Nssed• Zion Elementary School District 6 Board• Libertyville School District 70 Board• Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50• Warren Township High School District 121• Community High School District 117
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