UPDATED: B-BP Retirement Incentive Saves District Big Bucks

Correction: The incentive given is a one-time payout of unused sick days.

Original Article:

A budget-cutting measure enticing teachers to retire in the Bayport-Blue Point School District is saving the district nearly a million dollars in costs in next year’s budget.

The B-BP Board of Education approved providing an incentive to near or at-retirement age educators with the hope that at least eight would decide to retire.

Initially the board offered two options: a lifetime paid health benefit or a one-time payout of unused sick days. The BOE than changed the incentive to just the health care benefit. Currently the district pays 65 percent of the cost for a family health plan and 90 percent for an individual plan for retired teachers.

According to school officials 10 teachers, of a potential pool of 17, have opted for the incentive. At the time the incentive was adopted by the board district officials estimated that eight retirements would save the district over $800,000. The exact figure saved by the 10 retirements was not available as of press time.

Several teachers have already filed the required retirement paperwork and their retirement letters were approved at Tuesday night’s board meeting. So far the following teachers are officially retiring:

• Kathy Brand, elementary teacher; president of teacher’s association
• Joan Heiser, elementary teacher
• Donna Daquino, reading teacher
• Susan Molly, special education teacher
• James Cesare, music teacher
• Donna Edgar, science teacher
• Robert Jackolski, physical education teacher
• Michele O’Keefe, elementary teacher

District leaders had stated that at least four positions being retired would not be replaced due to resource allocation.