FAYETTEVILLE — The School District has received 86 employee applications from those planning to take the early retirement buyout at the end of the school year.
The program was approved in December for any of the district’s 1,400 employees who have worked five years in the district and participated 10 years in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System.
“I have contemplated retirement for the last couple of years. It’s time to change gears,” said Bert Stark, principal at Vandergriff Elementary School since it opened 19 years ago.
“I’ve always thought it was important to leave before it was time to leave,” Stark said.
Stark is completing 36 years in education, 30 in the district.
“I have the best education job in America,” he said, noting the support he has received from the district, teachers, parents and students. He doesn’t have any specific plans.
“I don’t know if I will continue to work,” Stark said. “I can’t see myself truly retired retired.”
Stark is one of seven administrators who plan to take the buyout. The district also will lose 54 teachers and 25 support personnel, said Greg Mones, human resources director.
This is the third buyout plan the district has offered in 12 years. The first two were limited to teachers and administrators. This is the first time support staff have had the opportunity to participate.
Fifty-one teachers and administrators took the buyout in 2008. The savings to the district was about $3.84 million.
Education Preferred Corporation, program administrator, projected 119 employees likely would take advantage of this year’s offer and the district could save $6.5 million. Some of that savings would be realized when a higher paid employee is replaced by one who is paid less.
By the end of the school year, the district could have more than 100 vacancies, Mones said. The district usually has about 30 teacher resignations annually, he said.
Mones doesn’t expect any difficulty filling positions because the district is getting an early start on the vacancies. Historically, positions such as special education teachers and sign language interpreters can be difficult to fill.
Administrator positions could be filled from within the district. Four of the retiring administrators are in schools as principals or assistant principals. The other three are in the central office. The district hasn’t released the names of employees who have applied for the buyout.
Lynn Konz has been teaching special education for 31 of the 32 years she has been a teacher.
“This was a last minute decision to take the buyout for my family’s sake,” Konz said. “I plan to take off a little time and then probably get another job.”
She envisions working with parents and their children in some capacity. In the meantime, she plans to walk, read and reduce stress. “Then I’ll be ready to start over,” Konz said.