Topeka ? The state pension system took a hit from the drop in the price of WorldCom Inc. stock, but officials say it isn’t anything to worry about.

The Kansas State Employees Retirement System lost between $5 million and $6 million in the value of its WorldCom holdings, Rob Woodard, KPERS chief investment officer, said Thursday.

“In relative terms, it won’t have a significant impact,” he said. “No single security movement has that much of an impact because the fund is diverse.”

Woodard said KPERS’s total assets are around $9 billion and WorldCom stock accounts for only a minute portion of the pension system’s total portfolio.

KPERS holds about 600,000 shares of WorldCom stock directly and indirectly. Trading was halted on the stock, so KPERS hasn’t been able to sell it.

About 56,000 retirees receive monthly pension checks from KPERS. During fiscal year 2001, KPERS paid out $550 million in retirement benefits.

The plan is the state’s largest pension system and one of the largest in the nation. It covers more than 240,000 current and former state, municipal and school employees.