More Than 50 Could Take Offer of Early Retirement

By Dan Bustard, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Apr. 25–SPRINGFIELD — A sizable number of instructors in the Springfield School District are eligible for the early retirement incentive approved by the school board earlier this week.

According to a review by the district’s central office, 53 instructors have worked in the district for the 20-year minimum required to be offered the incentive.

Of the 53 instructors, 34 are regular education instruction staff, or teachers in subjects like math and English.

The retirement incentive is one of four areas superintendent Frank Perotti offered for potential money saving ideas in next year’s school budget. Springfield has narrowly rejected the first two proposed budgets and a third vote is expected in June.

The school board spent most of its budget discussion this week on the teacher retirement suggestion, voting 3-2 to make the offer to any instructor with at least 20 years in the district.

Other areas suggested by the superintendent, including a reduction in spending on co-curricular activities and sports along with eliminating busing for high school students, has yet to generate much debate but could once the board returns to its budget discussions.

Perotti has said there is some interest from some teachers, and the idea was discussed during the most recent teacher negotiations but not included in the new three-year contract because it would no longer represent an incentive, he said.

Overall seven instructors eligible for the offer work in multiple buildings; three work at the Elm Hill Elementary School, eight each at the Union Street and Park Street elementary schools, 12 at Riverside Middle School and 15 at Springfield High School.

The board’s discussion included concerns raised by student representative Glenn Bogardus about losing too many veteran teachers in one year.

Any potential savings would only be realized if the difference between the retirement payment, spread over three years, and the salary and benefits of new teachers is less than the salary and benefits teachers who take the incentive make.

The deadline for accepting the offer is May 9.

Perotti’s suggestions for reducing the budget include realigning the district’s paraprofessionals in a more efficient manner, an idea administrators have already started to work no.

He also explained any decision to reduce funding for co-curricular and sports programs would not do away with any programs and let the administrators involved decide where to cut.

The possible elimination of busing high school students did raise a concern from a parent after Perotti discussed the options he would like to be considered last week. The concern centered on creating a K-8 bus population, which he said has not been a problem in Plainfield, N.H. with his children and has worked elsewhere, including in nearby Hartland, Vt.

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