Bluffton board developing retire-rehire policy
"Employees are typically hired back at a reduced rate and the district saves additional money because the retiree can receive health insurance through the State Teachers Retirement System."
Lima News, November 21, 2006
Bluffton board developing retire-rehire policy
By BETH L. JOKINEN
bjokinen@limanews.com 419-993-2093
BLUFFTON — While the school board has already said it doesn’t want its superintendent to retire and be rehired, the board is still moving forward to develop a policy on retire-rehire for the future.
The policy would specifically address administrators retiring and being rehired. There is already an existing retire-rehire policy in the teachers’ negotiated agreement.
Members discussed retire-rehire at their regular Monday board meeting. A final decision will be made in the next couple of months. Board President Rick Matter said the board began discussing the policy before the situation with Superintendent Rodney Russell came about.
“We had a policy with the teachers and all felt we needed one with the administration,” he said, saying the policy will give the board some direction.
There was some disagreement Monday over whether to include salary specifics. A sample policy the board received from the Ohio School Boards Association stated that the retired administrator’s salary after being rehired would be set at 85 percent of the current base salary.
“I just don’t want to tie our hands or future boards’ hands. It is not right,” board member Gary Bishop said of why he does not want a salary included.
Other board members agreed except for Dan Rumer, saying that future boards would have the latitude to change the policy if they wanted to. He believes including the salary would give the board some direction.
“To me salary is a significant item, which has to reflect a significant savings to the board,” he said, adding that it would allow applicants to know what salary they are looking at early on.
The policy will likely say that the salary is negotiable. Board members agreed that contract length should be negotiable.
The issue of retire-rehire came up with the board in August when Russell asked board members to allow him to do it. The board voted 3-2 against it, opposing members saying it was nothing personal against Russell or his performance, just that they were against the practice of retire-rehire. They had also heard concerns from residents. Rumer, Kay Miller and Brad Fruchey voted against the retire-rehire.
Russell, who was hired by the board in 2003, has since said that he is looking for employment elsewhere. He told the board last month that he had an interview with another district. He said Monday that he is still looking.
Retire-rehire is a common and legal practice among school employees. Some officials support it because it is usually a savings to a district and allows schools to keep good employees. Opposition says it’s not fair to younger people, who may have difficulties finding jobs.
Employees are typically hired back at a reduced rate and the district saves additional money because the retiree can receive health insurance through the State Teachers Retirement System.
Bluffton schools would have saved about $13,000. Russell could have drawn 66 percent of his retirement, meaning he would have received about $5,000 a month. His salary would have been reduced from just more than $92,000 to $89,000.
bjokinen@limanews.com 419-993-2093
BLUFFTON — While the school board has already said it doesn’t want its superintendent to retire and be rehired, the board is still moving forward to develop a policy on retire-rehire for the future.
The policy would specifically address administrators retiring and being rehired. There is already an existing retire-rehire policy in the teachers’ negotiated agreement.
Members discussed retire-rehire at their regular Monday board meeting. A final decision will be made in the next couple of months. Board President Rick Matter said the board began discussing the policy before the situation with Superintendent Rodney Russell came about.
“We had a policy with the teachers and all felt we needed one with the administration,” he said, saying the policy will give the board some direction.
There was some disagreement Monday over whether to include salary specifics. A sample policy the board received from the Ohio School Boards Association stated that the retired administrator’s salary after being rehired would be set at 85 percent of the current base salary.
“I just don’t want to tie our hands or future boards’ hands. It is not right,” board member Gary Bishop said of why he does not want a salary included.
Other board members agreed except for Dan Rumer, saying that future boards would have the latitude to change the policy if they wanted to. He believes including the salary would give the board some direction.
“To me salary is a significant item, which has to reflect a significant savings to the board,” he said, adding that it would allow applicants to know what salary they are looking at early on.
The policy will likely say that the salary is negotiable. Board members agreed that contract length should be negotiable.
The issue of retire-rehire came up with the board in August when Russell asked board members to allow him to do it. The board voted 3-2 against it, opposing members saying it was nothing personal against Russell or his performance, just that they were against the practice of retire-rehire. They had also heard concerns from residents. Rumer, Kay Miller and Brad Fruchey voted against the retire-rehire.
Russell, who was hired by the board in 2003, has since said that he is looking for employment elsewhere. He told the board last month that he had an interview with another district. He said Monday that he is still looking.
Retire-rehire is a common and legal practice among school employees. Some officials support it because it is usually a savings to a district and allows schools to keep good employees. Opposition says it’s not fair to younger people, who may have difficulties finding jobs.
Employees are typically hired back at a reduced rate and the district saves additional money because the retiree can receive health insurance through the State Teachers Retirement System.
Bluffton schools would have saved about $13,000. Russell could have drawn 66 percent of his retirement, meaning he would have received about $5,000 a month. His salary would have been reduced from just more than $92,000 to $89,000.
posted by Kathie Bracy at 8:24 PM
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