June Hughes: Rehire of Teachers & STRS

June raises some interesting points. Thank you, June! (John Curry)

From June Hughes, July 24, 2006
Subject:

I think this is unfair to those of us retired but not rehired or even want to be rehired. We're paying for part of the costs for school systems we know nothing about and have no say so in their policies! What do you think? It's unfair to new teachers too!

Today I received the Bluffton News (a weekly newspaper) and the big news was that the board rehired a teacher, making her the fourth teacher since this has been an option. She was rehired by a 3-2 vote. The two that voted against her were not against her, or her teaching, but on the basis that there is a bunch of new teachers waiting to be hired. The superintendent of the Bluffton mentioned about the cost saving to the system, since the STRS picks up the health insurance at a saving of $10,000 per teacher rehired. The board of education wail decide at the next meeting if they want to rehire this same superintendent of Bluffton Schools who is eligible to be rehired, and of course, that is what he hopes the board will do.

That will make five rehires just in one school district--$50,000. When will the STRS start to face the issue of this rehire cost to the STRS health program. The STRS has let another year slip by.

When will the STRS think about helping those who retired before all these perks started to level the playing field? Since the health fund is low, but the pension fund is in good shape, how about reinstating the 13th check to those who retired before 1998?

Bill