STUART, Fla. — Larry Green is a retired school principal.
“I worked in the Martin County School District for 38 years," he said. "But I'm still active in the school system helping out and volunteering.”
'Retirees have a fixed income': Larry Green shares his concerns about reducing, eliminating benefits
Now, he’s worried the school district may change its retirement benefits policy affecting current and prior employees.
“I stayed for 38 years knowing I was making less in Martin County than I would in St. Lucie or Palm Beach County, knowing they had an incentive,” said Green.
The school district currently pays a percentage of medical premiums for retirees under 65 who are not medicare eligible. The district also pays anyone 65 and up or medicare eligible $5 per month per year of service for a maximum of 30 years of service.
At a Tuesday night workshop, the school board will consider modifying or eliminating those benefits. Numbers show the benefits cost the school district over $1.6 million this year.
Getting rid of the incentive will cost retired educators like Green that they weren't anticipating to pay in retirement.
“Retirees have a fixed income and $150 or $300 a month would be significant," he said. "As we know, gas is going up; groceries are going up.”
Green also wonders what impact it could have on retaining teachers.
"I think if you don’t have that waiting for you in retirement, I think you have to look at what you’re going to get for salary," he said. "I think we will lose our best and brightest.”
If the board moves forward with changes, they're expected to vote at the next school board meeting on Feb. 18.
"I just don’t think it’s fair to put this burden on the back of retirees—something that was promised to them for many years and we served this school district well," Green added.
