 "Photo: Destiny Mata")
 "Photo: Destiny Mata")
Employees enrolled in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas or the Texas Optional Retirement Program qualify for the district’s phased retirement plan, Elisa Hernandez, benefits and human resources records manager, said in a question-and-answer session Tuesday in Loftin Student Center.
About 15 employees attended Tuesday’s meeting to discuss the process of phased retirement offered this year by the Alamo Community College District.
District officials have said employees who retire will not be replaced.
“In most instances, you will not be replaced,” Hernandez said.
The phased retirement program allows for full-time employees wanting to apply for retirement to do so but return as a part-time employee.
“You need to stay under half-time,” Hernandez said, noting that is 49 percent of a faculty member’s full-time work load and 19 hours a week for staff.
Faculty members will receive the same benefits as a temporary employee at their individual current rates.
She gave the example that if a clerk making $15 an hour retired or left the district but did not enter the phased retirement program, the employee could return to work but only at the entry level of $8 per hour.
“We’re used to seeing incentives with money attached; we don’t have that anymore,” Hernandez said.
“I think we need to look at the benefit we’re getting,” she said.
She said the opportunity is to return to work with the employee’s current pay although the employee would work fewer hours.
“You can benefit from it if you come back and work,” Hernandez said.
These employees will be seen as temporary employees and will not receive pay for days missed or holidays.
Employees “must stay out one complete calendar month” to be eligible.
It does not matter what day a person retires, she said, TRS requires an employee to be out of work for an entire calendar month.
“We’re using TRS criteria so you do need to make those criteria,” she said.
For example, if someone retired on the fifth day of the month, the retiree would have to wait the rest of that month and an additional month, according to TRS.
Teachers who retire will be “guaranteed that contract for three years,” Hernandez said, noting summer teaching loads are “still subject to need basis.”
Staffers will be able to take on 19 hours or less per week.
“Do not work 20; that one more hour can cost you your month with TRS,” she said, referring to the monthly retirement benefit from TRS.
If retirees do not wish to continue with the part-time work, they may quit at any time; however, “once you quit this program, you cannot come back to this program again, even if there’s time remaining on your contract,” Hernandez said.
“No, you don’t have to work at the same department, not even at the same college,” Hernandez said answering a question she said was frequently asked.
“If you have a department or campus in mind, find out that there’s a need for temps and if the person says that they need you, you can work there,” she said.
She noted, however, that is not guaranteed.
The faculty semester ends around May 10, she said; therefore, they cannot teach during the first summer session, she said Tuesday. If that person retires in the fall, they have the opportunity to return and teach in a spring Flex 2 class.
The district is attempting to get those who want to retire through the phased retirement program to retire by May 30, because “they want everyone to retire at the same time.”
Library Chair Candace Peterson asked if retirees would return to the same office they used while employed.
Hernandez said that if a person leaves and returns to work again with the same college in the same department, it is unknown if the person will return to the same office.
However, Hernandez said the district is to build up a Q&A spot online to accept questions.
She said the “deadline to apply is anytime between now and April 30.”
To enroll, go to the district’s Web site and get a copy of the phased retirement agreement.
“You need to complete and turn it into your supervisor,” she said.
Along with the agreement, a formal letter stating one is retiring is needed, and once submitted, supervisors will follow the process specified by the district.
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