For the last eight years, the Rushford-Peterson School Board has approved early retirement for teachers who met the criteria. To date, the incentive has been reviewed and approved annually or bi-annually rather than made into a district policy, despite ongoing discussion for the latter. At the January 25 board meeting, the board approved the incentive for two years, as well as the development of an official policy.
Board Chairman Chris Grindland expressed opposition to the incentive, noting how it affects both students, staff, and the community. “I don’t think it benefits the students. We’re losing a qualified teacher,” he said. As teachers retire, districts lose a staff member with years of experience and knowledge. The hiring of teachers with less does equate to salary and benefit cost-savings, however, Grindland wasn’t sure the trade-off was worth it when it comes to overall quality of teaching staff.
“There is a benefit to it,” stated Superintendent Jon Thompson. He noted the cost of providing insurance coverage per year is significant to the district. “We’re trying to bridge that gap constantly. That’s the logic of where that came from for R-P.”
The amount paid by the district to a teacher who voluntarily retires early is $9,351.60 per year. Funds are paid directly into a health savings account to offset costs to transition into retirement. In order to qualify, teachers must have a minimum of 15 years teaching at R-P and be at least 55 years old, as of the end of June prior to the incentive year. Payments are quarterly for a maximum of two years. If a retiree becomes eligible for Medicare during that time, district payments would cease on the date of eligibility.
“I tell you as a board, I will always make the recommendation, but it’s no issue if the board goes another way,” added Thompspon. “Last month, think I would have told you to wait a year. I’m looking at it as a budget issue instead of a quality teacher issue. That’s the superintendent’s point of view, I guess.”
“It’s pretty clear in this day and age that insurance is a driving aspect. As far as the community is concerned, you can map out savings,” said Board Director Kathy Wade. “I’m not saying it’s a loss, I understand that, but I’m in favor of something that’s a part of the contract where everyone is treated the same. It’s a more equitable approach.”
According to Thompson, no staff members have expressed an interest in the incentive this year. He also expressed some concern over ongoing expectations versus occasional incentives. “Is it equal to everyone if some get an advantage this year and not last year? If we do it this year, it’ll take time to find a replacement. Time is an important part of this,” he noted. “If we did decide to do something this year, I’d ask you to consider making it a policy.”
“I would rather see us do it or don’t do it, not keep coming back to it each year,” added Board Director Jeff Michel. “But, I can see Chris’s point of teacher quality versus cost savings.”
“If a person’s considering retirement, you start looking at different avenues or tools. It’s one more consideration for them as they make a hard decision, one more tool they could look at. It might be what tips the scale,” responded Thompson. “They’re going to make that decision regardless of the money. If we put it out there this year, I don’t know that anyone would jump on it. That’s where I really struggle with it.”
In other news, the board approved the second reading and adoption of several policies, including School Weapons, Search of Student Lockers, Desks, Personal Possessions and Student, and Protection and Privacy of Student Records. The district has been systematically reviewing all policies over the last few years after discovering several that weren’t in place, but were recommended by the state, as well as the previous policies’ antiquated numbering system which often caused confusion.
“We were working on these right before the pandemic and then took a pause,” noted Thompson. A few changes have been made including carrying of a weapon by a state-permit holder, procedures regarding unclaimed medications, and clarifications on discipline for tobacco-use, which is prohibited on all school grounds and property.
During the Superintendent’s Report, Thompson indicated the state is utilizing Governor Walz’s new “Due North” Education Plan. “It would almost be like our plan, but for the whole state. It’s encouraging,” he said. The governor’s press release stated the plan, “Plan is centered on ensuring every child in Minnesota receives a high-quality education, no matter their race or zip code,” and “will help students recover from learning loss this year while closing the opportunity gap and transforming our education system for years to come.”
One area of particular interest within the plan was the possibility of state funding being based on the school year prior to the pandemic. “If that does happen, I’d be excited about the possibility to recapture some funds. I’m going to cross my fingers and hope they would allow that. It’s a good start.”
In his COVID-19 update, Thompson indicated four staff members initially received the vaccine. That number has since grown to 10. There is an option for another 12 in the next round at the state level with the potential for 20 more to get vaccination locally through the county. “It’s worth it,” he said. “We have 46 out of 80 that want the vaccination. It will go a long way.”
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is Monday, February 22, at 5:30 p.m. Please note the change to the third Monday of the month for President’s Day holiday observance the second Monday. The meeting is open to the public.
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