Time To Change 'Retire-Rehire'
by JIM BEAM - The American Press (excerpt)

Anyone wondering why Louisiana’s retirement systems are billions of dollars in debt need only look at the abuse of what has come to be known as the “retire-rehire” law. The original law was enacted when school systems were having problems finding qualified teachers in subjects like math and science. It laid out some tough requirements before retired teachers could be rehired. A shortage of teachers had to be advertised and certified by the superintendent and school board of each district. The certification had to be made to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and to the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana.

You can’t blame taxpayers who are upset at having to fund salaries and partial pension benefits for the hundreds of individuals who are taking advantage of this liberal retirement program.

The American Press Informer column Wednesday reported that the Calcasieu Parish School System has 225 retire-rehire participants. Those numbers comprise 153 teachers, 59 support workers, three principals or assistant principals, and 10 central office supervisors, directors or consultants. All of these people can’t be serving in positions that are difficult to fill. In some school systems, superintendents have reportedly rehired friends and those they have been working with for years. The retire-rehire program has been suspended in Calcasieu Parish for the time being, but it could resume at any time. Where is the incentive for teachers and other school workers hoping for promotions when the jobs they would like to have are taken by retirees?

Legislators need to revisit this issue and return retire-rehire to the more stringent requirements that existed before the law was changed.