(BEDFORD) – North Lawrence Community Schools is offering an early retirement incentive to qualifying teachers.
Those wanting to retire early will receive a one-time payment of $20,000. The offer is available to a maximum of 30 teachers.
To be eligible, teachers must be at least 55 as of Aug. 15 following the final year of employment, have a minimum of 20 years of certified full-time teaching, have been a teacher with NLCS for at least 15 years, and have taught full-time at NLCS for at least ten consecutive years.
Eligible teachers can submit their written notices of retirement to the NLCS personnel office beginning today. The last day to submit a letter of intent is April 1.
Should more than 30 teachers submit a letter, the 30 teachers with total years of teaching experience will receive the incentive. Those not selected will be allowed to rescind their letter of retirement. Teachers who submit a written notice of intent to retire after the April 1 deadline will not be eligible to receive the early retirement incentive.
NLCS Superintendent Gary Conner says the offer is being made due to a cut in funding because of declined enrollment numbers with a goal of reducing staff without reducing services to students.
NLCS receives $5,942 from the state in per pupil funding. During the September Average Daily Membership count, which is used to determine per-pupil funding, the NL enrollment declined by 174 students from the previous year. The projected shortfall in state funds is $1,035,732.
