Update: School Board Approves Teacher Retirements in Money-Saving Venture

Updated at 6:45 a.m. Thursday: This is the third in a series of articles about the concerns and accomplishments highlighted in Superintendent Douglas Heuer's State of the Schools speech Jan. 26.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District received almost $703, 700 as part of the Education Jobs Fund grant, which Superintendent Douglas Heuer mentioned in his State of the Schools speech Jan. 26 and was officially approved by the school board at its meeting on Tuesday. 

Traditionally, the money is used to save or create teaching jobs.

Instead, the district is using the money to implement a retirement incentive to encourage teacherswho are eligible to retire, and replacing those educators with beginning teachers. 

Teachers will receive two payments of $28,000 with the new incentive as opposed to two payments of $12,000 in the previous retirement program, said Scott Gainer, the district's chief financial officer, by e-mail. 

“Our experienced teachers are extremely valuable to us, but like every school district, we face major funding challenges and must always look for ways to maximize resources for our students,” Heuer said in an e-mail. "The difference between a starting salary and those close to retirement is in excess of $40,000, in addition to the larger amount we pay into the state retirement system for more experienced teachers.” 

Seventeen teachers opted to retire and take the incentive, effective July 1, which the board also approved at Tuesday’s meeting. Five of the 17 will return next year on a “limited contract and significantly reduced salary” as part of the incentive, Heuer said.

The district will save about $500,000, and Heuer expects that more people will choose to retire before the end of the year. 

At least 50 teachers have expressed interest in the incentive, he said.

“If 30 people leave and we replace them with beginning teachers, then we’ve essentially saved $1.2 million. Over time, this savings will be compounded every year, amounting to a multimillion-dollar savings to the district,” he said. 

Currently, the district has a one-week orientation for new teachers before school starts, but Heuer did not say whether those programs would be expanded to prepare for several new teachers with less experience.

“Each teacher is partnered with a  mentor teacher for assistance throughout the school year. We have ongoing professional development opportunities during waiver days … We are looking at options for online professional training," he said. 

The board also officially accepted the Race to the Top grant, which will give  Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools $1, 234, 795 over four years, with $195, 231 of that total available this school year.

Editor's Note: The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District contacted Cleveland Heights Patch to correct its earlier report that teachers receive a one-time payment of $28,000. They will receive two payments of $28,000.