Prairie State Wire

Earlville CUSD 9 in LaSalle County receives just $230 per student from the state to fund pensions for teachers and administrators, the lowest of all other districts, according to a Wirepoints analysis of Teacher Retirement System data.

Bradford CUSD 1 in Stark County receives $261 per student and Farrington CCSD 99 in Jefferson County receives $290 per student.

Wirepoints examined the system in which school districts pay salaries to teachers and administrators, but not pensions, which are funded by state tax dollars.

"It’s a scheme that allows districts to spend more money on salaries and perks than they otherwise would," Wirepoints reported. "Wealthy districts – like those on the North Shore – benefit far more from the state’s pension payments than poor districts do."

Because high salaries equal high pension costs, wealthy districts, where average salaries are much higher, receive more from the state in retirement benefits. Separating the costs of salaries and pension means districts aren't accountable for their salary decisions.

Rondout SD 72 receives the biggest state-provided pension subsidy at $1,579. 

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School districts receiving the smallest pension subsidies

	District	County	Average daily attendance	Percent of district revenue provided by the state	EAV (taxable property) per student	District spending per student	State-provided pension subsidy per student*
1	Earlville CUSD 9	Lasalle	822	23%	$59,159	$5,397	$230
2	Bradford CUSD 1	Stark	232	14%	$245,189	$8,162	$261
3	Farrington CCSD 99	Jefferson	72	57%	$89,981	$7,236	$290
4	Crab Orchard CUSD 3	Williamson	456	46%	$63,144	$7,793	$291
5	Central City SD 133	Marion	288	61%	$56,569	$6,735	$297
6	Carterville CUSD 5	Williamson	2,063	43%	$86,382	$7,246	$303
7	Bluford Unit School District 318	Jefferson	367	56%	$73,075	$8,280	$304
8	Breese ESD 12	Clinton	580	28%	$192,597	$6,345	$304
9	Colona SD 190	Henry	429	44%	$88,796	$7,520	$306
10	Riverview CCSD 2	Woodford	219	24%	$204,035	$7,608	$313
11	Edinburg CUSD 4	Christian	272	24%	$160,476	$7,213	$313
12	Newark CCSD 66	Kendall	230	11%	$309,196	$8,953	$320
13	Hardin County CUSD 1	Hardin	527	63%	$55,735	$8,424	$321
14	Taft SD 90	Will	310	26%	$173,260	$8,520	$322
15	St George CCSD 258	Kankakee	438	34%	$167,183	$7,639	$322
16	Washington SD 52	Tazewell	903	39%	$147,878	$7,425	$322
17	Central SD 51	Tazewell	1,166	23%	$191,229	$7,678	$323
18	Red Hill CUSD 10	Lawrence	933	57%	$56,621	$7,743	$324
19	Bartonville SD 66	Peoria	256	26%	$116,768	$7,374	$327
20	Metamora CCSD 1	Woodford	816	28%	$192,616	$7,171	$327
21	Carthage ESD 317	Hancock	410	32%	$168,326	$8,017	$328
22	Taylorville CUSD 3	Christian	2,316	40%	$120,498	$7,419	$331
23	Aviston SD 21	Clinton	359	42%	$137,073	$6,555	$332
24	Oakwood CUSD 76	Vermilion	922	46%	$80,911	$8,851	$332
25	South Fork SD 14	Christian	308	56%	$62,619	$8,005	$336
26	Beardstown CUSD 15	Cass	1,426	61%	$39,561	$7,871	$337
27	Norwood ESD 63	Peoria	416	48%	$117,737	$7,944	$340
28	Monroe SD 70	Peoria	292	26%	$170,980	$7,700	$341
29	Jasper County CUD 1	Jasper	1,246	21%	$148,803	$9,010	$343
30	North Greene CUSD 3	Greene	756	52%	$84,302	$10,303	$344
31	Pleasant Valley SD 62	Peoria	483	55%	$90,757	$7,637	$345
32	Bartelso SD 57	Clinton	164	29%	$134,864	$6,439	$345
33	North Mac CUSD 34	Macoupin	1,307	44%	$91,076	$7,918	$345
34	Farmington Central CUSD 265	Peoria	1,270	32%	$111,982	$9,311	$346
35	Eldorado CUSD 4	Saline	1,084	61%	$51,723	$9,341	$349
36	Albers SD 63	Clinton	175	39%	$132,915	$6,992	$350
37	Lick Creek CCSD 16	Union	128	49%	$127,834	$7,207	$350
38	County of Union Sch Dist No43	Union	375	61%	$70,412	$7,441	$350
39	Ashley CCSD 15	Washington	134	41%	$160,676	$8,517	$351
40	Germantown SD 60	Clinton	240	39%	$142,302	$6,194	$352
41	Westville CUSD 2	Vermilion	1,191	66%	$37,392	$8,532	$352
42	Calumet Public SD 132	Cook	1,017	56%	$89,760	$10,926	$352
43	Norris City-Omaha-Enfield CUSD 3	White	643	59%	$74,406	$8,179	$354
44	North Clay CUSD 25	Clay	607	58%	$65,913	$7,980	$354
45	Illini Bluffs CUSD 327	Peoria	810	17%	$141,399	$8,634	$354
46	O Fallon CCSD 90	St Clair	3,341	24%	$182,964	$8,353	$355
47	Grand Prairie CCSD 6	Jefferson	84	54%	$110,830	$8,261	$355
48	Johnston City CUSD 1	Williamson	968	48%	$75,562	$8,077	$356
49	Flora CUSD 35	Clay	1,252	56%	$67,379	$8,238	$356
50	Pleasant Hill SD 69	Peoria	232	64%	$67,556	$8,606	$357
51	Ladd CCSD 94	Bureau	205	31%	$172,988	$9,481	$357
52	Wilmington CUSD 209U	Will	1,268	17%	$159,221	$11,421	$358
53	Orion CUSD 223	Henry	1,010	23%	$133,392	$8,898	$358
54	CUSD 4	Adams	633	44%	$95,604	$9,109	$358
55	Nokomis CUSD 22	Montgomery	575	50%	$81,596	$8,210	$359
56	District 50 Schools	Tazewell	723	47%	$116,323	$9,111	$360
57	Marion CUSD 2	Williamson	3,890	31%	$128,656	$7,786	$360
58	St Joseph CCSD 169	Champaign	870	35%	$140,616	$7,886	$360
59	Porta CUSD 202	Menard	996	25%	$154,362	$9,514	$362
60	North Wamac SD 186	Clinton	140	60%	$61,093	$8,002	$362
61	Carlinville CUSD 1	Macoupin	1,305	40%	$113,104	$7,874	$362
62	Germantown Hills SD 69	Woodford	834	27%	$185,277	$7,696	$363
63	Warsaw CUSD 316	Hancock	417	41%	$75,494	$8,103	$364
64	Abingdon-Avon CUSD 276	Knox	854	39%	$101,578	$8,541	$364
65	Sullivan CUSD 300	Moultrie	1,031	39%	$108,253	$8,232	$365
66	Knoxville CUSD 202	Knox	1,022	41%	$94,401	$8,829	$365
67	Stewardson-Strasburg CUD 5A	Shelby	323	39%	$101,636	$8,522	$365
68	South Pekin SD 137	Tazewell	230	62%	$61,558	$8,818	$365
69	Villa Grove CUSD 302	Douglas	598	42%	$107,874	$8,254	$366
70	Monmouth-Roseville CUSD 238	Warren	1,532	49%	$78,449	$8,298	$367
71	Vienna SD 55	Johnson	400	55%	$76,980	$8,301	$367
72	Cumberland CUSD 77	Cumberland	948	54%	$72,318	$8,012	$367
73	Hamilton Co CUSD 10	Hamilton	1,167	51%	$59,680	$8,542	$368
74	Morris SD 54	Grundy	1,095	24%	$184,399	$9,803	$369
75	Riverton CUSD 14	Sangamon	1,352	45%	$85,383	$8,177	$370
76	High Mount SD 116	St Clair	466	42%	$94,205	$8,351	$370
77	Kewanee CUSD 229	Henry	1,692	58%	$42,395	$8,992	$371
78	New Berlin CUSD 16	Sangamon	844	13%	$200,455	$8,943	$371
79	Rochester CUSD 3A	Sangamon	2,176	32%	$115,854	$9,213	$372
80	Charleston CUSD 1	Coles	2,487	33%	$123,921	$9,279	$372
81	Selmaville CCSD 10	Marion	237	35%	$137,661	$7,863	$372
82	Robinson CUSD 2	Crawford	1,560	13%	$199,122	$9,286	$372
83	Staunton CUSD 6	Macoupin	1,169	47%	$90,602	$7,393	$373
84	Williamsville CUSD 15	Sangamon	1,403	34%	$116,621	$9,162	$375
85	Payson CUSD 1	Adams	505	42%	$90,599	$7,975	$375
86	Lawrence County CUD 20	Lawrence	1,079	56%	$57,945	$8,911	$375
87	Minooka CCSD 201	Grundy	4,166	26%	$167,434	$8,105	$375
88	Limestone Walters CCSD 316	Peoria	173	9%	$270,207	$8,713	$376
89	Mendota CCSD 289	Lasalle	1,139	34%	$173,485	$8,452	$376
90	Century CUSD 100	Pulaski	348	66%	$42,104	$10,081	$376
91	Jasper CCSD 17	Wayne	165	59%	$61,211	$9,927	$376
92	Pikeland CUSD 10	Pike	1,179	44%	$91,916	$8,893	$376
93	Schuyler-Industry CUSD 5	Schuyler	999	37%	$113,899	$9,688	$376
94	Teutopolis CUSD 50	Effingham	1,020	38%	$111,455	$8,053	$376
95	Geneseo CUSD 228	Henry	2,342	25%	$142,115	$8,540	$376
96	Marshall CUSD 2C	Clark	1,230	53%	$82,665	$8,194	$376
97	Ball Chatham CUSD 5	Sangamon	4,314	19%	$160,607	$8,896	$377
98	Paris CUSD 4	Edgar	425	31%	$210,150	$9,586	$377
99	Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61	Logan	266	11%	$266,002	$8,274	$377
100	Potomac CUSD 10	Vermilion	162	46%	$87,019	$8,513	$378