Norwich offers retirement incentives
NORWICH – Norwich teachers have an added incentive to retire at the end of this academic year, thanks to an agreement reached this week between their union and the school district.
“Personnel costs are the biggest cost of running the district,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan, who explained that offering the incentive will be a way of reducing costs for the district as they face difficult budget decisions. Between reductions in state and federal aid and rising healthcare and retirement contributions, the district faces a staggering budget deficit next year.
“We have a $2.6 million problem staring us in the face,” said Deputy Superintendent Robert Wightman. Incentivizing retirements and resignations will help narrow that gap, he explained, and could help save other jobs. “It may be enough to tip the scale.”
Offering an incentive to retirees is nothing new. There was already a retirement clause in the Norwich Educator Organization’s contract, O’Sullivan explained. The memorandum of understanding signed by the district and the NEO this week removes the restrictions in this clause. Now, any teacher who has been with the district for 15 years or more will be eligible to receive a bonus upon retirement or resignation. That bonus will range from $10,000 to as high as $20,000 based not only on the individual’s time with the district, but also the total number of employees who opt to leave under the program. In addition, they will be compensated for unused sick time, and also receive between $3,000 and $6,000 toward their annual health care expenses until they turn 65.
And, according to Wightman, the retirement is a “local” one, meaning the employee would be free to seek employment with another district, as a substitute or switch careers if they so choose.
In a presentation before the Norwich City School Board last month, the superintendent identified 63 of the district’s 205 teachers as having more than 15 years of service with the district – which means approximately 30 percent of Norwich’s current teaching staff is eligible for the incentive.
There will a “breakage” cost to the district, Wightman said, both in the financial cost of the incentives and in the loss of the expertise of veteran teaching staff. But the deputy superintendent said these factors were weighed against the overall savings in personnel costs – including salaries, retirement contributions, unemployment, etc. – and ability to retain rather than cut other teachers. Their determination was that offering the incentive would “not sacrifice the integrity” of the district’s academic program.
Those wishing to take advantage of the deal will have to act fast. NEO members have until Feb. 4 to turn in their letter of resignation or retirement, which must list an effective date between June 27 and Aug. 31.
According to O’Sullivan, retirement incentive agreements have also been reached between the district and both the Norwich Association of Certified Administrative and Supervisory Personnel, which represents Norwich administrators, and confidential/managerial personnel.
An agreement has not yet been reached with NESSA, the support staff union.
“It’s been presented and talked about,” reported Wightman, who said the collective bargaining unit has not yet signed a memorandum of understanding.
“Personnel costs are the biggest cost of running the district,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan, who explained that offering the incentive will be a way of reducing costs for the district as they face difficult budget decisions. Between reductions in state and federal aid and rising healthcare and retirement contributions, the district faces a staggering budget deficit next year.
“We have a $2.6 million problem staring us in the face,” said Deputy Superintendent Robert Wightman. Incentivizing retirements and resignations will help narrow that gap, he explained, and could help save other jobs. “It may be enough to tip the scale.”
Offering an incentive to retirees is nothing new. There was already a retirement clause in the Norwich Educator Organization’s contract, O’Sullivan explained. The memorandum of understanding signed by the district and the NEO this week removes the restrictions in this clause. Now, any teacher who has been with the district for 15 years or more will be eligible to receive a bonus upon retirement or resignation. That bonus will range from $10,000 to as high as $20,000 based not only on the individual’s time with the district, but also the total number of employees who opt to leave under the program. In addition, they will be compensated for unused sick time, and also receive between $3,000 and $6,000 toward their annual health care expenses until they turn 65.
And, according to Wightman, the retirement is a “local” one, meaning the employee would be free to seek employment with another district, as a substitute or switch careers if they so choose.
In a presentation before the Norwich City School Board last month, the superintendent identified 63 of the district’s 205 teachers as having more than 15 years of service with the district – which means approximately 30 percent of Norwich’s current teaching staff is eligible for the incentive.
There will a “breakage” cost to the district, Wightman said, both in the financial cost of the incentives and in the loss of the expertise of veteran teaching staff. But the deputy superintendent said these factors were weighed against the overall savings in personnel costs – including salaries, retirement contributions, unemployment, etc. – and ability to retain rather than cut other teachers. Their determination was that offering the incentive would “not sacrifice the integrity” of the district’s academic program.
Those wishing to take advantage of the deal will have to act fast. NEO members have until Feb. 4 to turn in their letter of resignation or retirement, which must list an effective date between June 27 and Aug. 31.
According to O’Sullivan, retirement incentive agreements have also been reached between the district and both the Norwich Association of Certified Administrative and Supervisory Personnel, which represents Norwich administrators, and confidential/managerial personnel.
An agreement has not yet been reached with NESSA, the support staff union.
“It’s been presented and talked about,” reported Wightman, who said the collective bargaining unit has not yet signed a memorandum of understanding.
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