SDUSD Board Members to Propose Early-Retirement Incentives

Two members of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education plan to ask staff Tuesday to explore incentives to offer employees in an early-retirement program.

The request by Trustees Kevin Beiser and Marne Foster comes as the district faces another major shortfall in budget planning for the 2014-15 school year. They plan to discuss the issue at Tuesday's school board meeting at 5 p.m.

Two weeks ago, San Diego Unified staff acknowledged a projected $101.35 million budget gap in the 2014-15 fiscal year, and a $53.98 million shortfall for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

San Diego Unified's Jack Brandais said staff would study whether early- retirement incentives, which could involve taking out annuities with the California State Teachers Retirement System, would attract enough takers to make a budget impact.

In 2009, 1,039 district employees signed-on to an early-retirement program, which financial staff estimated would save $17 million. The figure included nearly 600 teachers, counselors and nurses.

-City News Service