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Teachers
in Tempe high schools who have announced
their intention to retire at the end of
this school year are awaiting a decision
from the district’s governing board on
whether continued medical coverage will
remain among their guaranteed benefits.
The so-far unresolved question has left
a number of teachers unable to determine
whether they should withdraw their
notices of intent in time to meet a
March 1 deadline. A board-appointed
committee is studying the matter.
“The committee is expected to present a
recommendation to the Governing Board by
mid-February in order for potential
retirees to have the information they
need to make a final decision,” TUHSD
Director of Communications Linda Littell
said in response to emailed questions.
Littell said the district has received
26 notices of retirement this year,
compared to nine last year.
“We will be receiving rescinding letters
until March 1, so this number will
change,” she said.
Littell noted that “there are various
reasons that people retire, however the
district is currently reviewing and will
make a recommendation on future retiree
health benefits.”
The discussion revolves around a once
commonly implemented procedure used by
Tempe Union and other school districts
that pays existing medical insurance
premiums until the retiree qualifies for
Medicare at age 65.
Tempe has waffled on whether its policy
should continue to include that
longstanding provision, and two years
ago didn’t decide in its favor until a
number of teachers had missed a deadline
to reconsider their planned retirement.
Most other districts have dropped the
provision from their retirement programs
altogether.
The president of the TUHSD teachers
union, Richard Trujillo, did not respond
to inquiries for the union’s position on
the matter.
In the neighboring Kyrene School
District, an official said the district
is “seeing no trend in increased
retirements.”
Vickie Middleton said 20 teachers have
requested retirement at the end of this
school year. In the 2005-06 school year
the number was 24.
Asked whether Kyrene has developed
incentives to keep highly qualified
teachers from retiring, Middleton said
in a written statement:
“Kyrene strives to maintain quality
employees through our well developed
curriculum, advanced technology, and
comprehensive staff development
offerings.”
Middleton noted that some teachers have
returned to work for the district after
retirement.
“As an incentive to return we offer a
higher rate for substitute work than the
regular daily rate and we offer full
years of credited service on the salary
schedule if they return to a contracted
position.”
As part of its retirement policy, TUHSD
allows retirees to return to work
through a program administered by an
outside consultant. However, Littell
added, “There is no guarantee of
employment after retirement to anyone.”
Kyrene does not source retired teachers
back into its workforce through outside
consulting companies, Middleton said.
“We do not have any employees hired
through private firms.”
Middleton said she has no knowledge of
how other districts handle the matter of
continuing medical benefits for teachers
who retire before age 65, nor was she
aware of the issue being considered by
the neighboring Tempe high school
district.
A proposal is being considered that
would combine Kyrene, Tempe Union and
Tempe Elementary into a single, unified
district.
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