ALGONQUIN – Area lawmakers critical of shifting teacher pensions from the state to local school districts were unexpectedly pitted against the chief architect of that idea at Jacobs High School on Tuesday.

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, made a last-minute appearance at District 300’s annual legislative reception for local representatives to defend her Democratic colleagues’ effort to shift teacher pensions – part of $96 billion in unfunded state liability – to local school districts.

“The cost shift is a very controversial item,” Nekritz told 110 district students, parents, teachers and administrators. “But the proposal that has been put forth has had a much more nominal cost shift that we thought it was going to be.”