The pension funds of many occupations around Illinois, including teachers, are in jeopardy of running out soon.

A pension is a payment made to a retiree or surviving dependents under certain conditions.

The funds are in jeopardy of running out because the state government has been slowly taking from the pension fund over time, said Lindsey Hall, assistant superintendent of Human Resources of DeKalb School District 428.

“Our state government must stop borrowing from Teacher Retirement System (TRS) to pay down other debt,” Hall said.

Even though the state is taking money out, this does not mean that the fund will dry up any time soon.

“Everyone who is currently retired is getting their pensions,” said DeKalb Mayor Kris Povlsen. “The only way the pension fund would run out is if everyone in the workforce retired today, then there would not be enough money to pay everyone’s pensions.”

To ensure that all retired teachers will maintain their current standard of living, the Illinois state government does increase pensions to teachers by 3 percent each year, Hall said.

Another problem facing new teachers is a new pension reform law that was passed Jan. 1.

The reform law raises the retirement age to 67 and caps the amount of pension a retiree can receive in retirement.

Teachers working before the law passed are not affected; only newly hired teachers will be affected, Hall said.

Teaching is a lifestyle choice, said Roger Scott assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for District 428.

Teachers immerse themselves in the lives of their students and for some people, teaching is the perfect profession.

“Teaching is one of the most noble and honorable professions, especially teaching in a public school,” Hall said. “I don’t discourage students from pursuing their dreams of teaching. A teacher can plan and prepare for retirement outside of the TRS. While they still must contribute to TRS, everyone should responsibly save for the future, especially in uncertain economic times.”