Bucks County Technical High School - Officials at the Bucks County Technical High School in Bristol Township are hoping to save at least $200,000 by offering a retirement incentive to teachers.
The school would save that much if four teachers take advantage of the offer, BCTHS Administrative Director Leon Poeske said after the joint school board committee approved the incentive recently. At least four must retire for the program to be implemented, he added. There was no indication how many teachers beyond the minimum four would be allowed to accept the incentive.
The incentive would pay each teacher retiring this year $7,400 a year toward medical insurance until the retiree is eligible for Medicare at age 65 or for 10 years, whichever comes first. Normally, the school doesn't contribute anything toward a retiring teacher's health insurance.
Also, anyone taking the retirement incentive would be paid $125 per unused sick day; the usual payout is $52.50.
Teachers are eligible to retire after 35 years of service, or at age 60 with 30 years of service. There is no mandatory retirement age for teachers.
The $200,000 in savings would be realized because four retiring teachers near the top of the salary scale would be replaced by teachers earning much less. Starting teachers at BCTHS earn $41,946 a year. The maximum annual salary is $90,607.
It's also possible that some teachers who take advantage of the retirement incentive might not be replaced at all, depending on enrollment in the subject they teach, Poeske said.
The joint school board recently decided to lay off a teacher in the automotive technology program, effective at the end of this school year, because of declining enrollment in that program. That move will save about $100,000 a year in salary and benefits, BCTHS officials said.
"The retirement incentive provides financial savings to the school," said Theresa Prato, teachers union president at BCTHS. "Employees that would have otherwise waited to retire are provided assistance with health care costs while the school reduces its overall costs."
The technical school is a full-time institution with both academic and vocational instruction drawing students from the Bristol, Bristol Township, Bensalem, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts.
Chris English can be reached at 215-949-4193 or cenglish@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Chris on Twitter at Twitter.com/courierc
