By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – It’s not just that teachers get paid for sick time they didn’t use while on the job. Nearly three-quarters of retired teachers in Illinois are cashing in on their unused sick days to fatten their pension.

A new Illinois Policy Institute report finds that retired teachers are using those unused sick days to boost their pensions.

The Institute’s Vice President of Policy Ted Dabrowski said those sick time pension boosts will cost taxpayers billions.

“These are the kinds of deals that are negotiated by the unions,” Dabrowski said. “It adds up. And it’s why Illinois is paying the highest property taxes in the nation.”

Dabrowski explains the problem is not just that teachers get paid for sick days they didn’t use. Retired teachers can roll up to two full school years of sick days, nearly 360 days, into their pension.

“Think of it as rolling over your unused sick time for 30-years,” Dabrowski said. “If you have a 30 year career, you roll it over and keep accumulating it. And you cash it in at the very end.”

Almost every school district in the state allows teachers to roll sick days into their pension.

Dabrowski said almost a third of retired teachers added pay for a year-and-a-half or more of unused sick to their retirement package.

The Illinois Radio Network is an independent project of the Illinois Policy Institute.