MAPS teachers working on new retirement incentive plan

MARQUETTE - Since the Marquette school board didn't get too excited about the teachers union's first retirement incentive plan, the union is working on presenting a second one.

"ERIs (early retirement incentives) and severance plans are extremely common in order to reduce your labor force without having to resort to layoffs," said Matt Edgell, president of the Marquette Area Education Association.

The MAEA is proposing the district adopt a plan that was suggested to Marquette Area Public Schools by an employee benefits consulting company, Plante and Moran of Auburn Hills, in 2006. The plan entails offering a $40,000 buyout, paid over three years, if 25 teachers participate. According to the study, the district could save $512,199 within eight years.

"That is a very conservative estimate," Edgell said. "The MAEA proposed this to do something 'for' the district not 'to' the district."

Board President Kellie Holmstrom said last week she has not seen the proposal.

"We're willing to take a look at it," she said. "We welcome people's ideas."

Holmstrom said in 2006 the board decided the proposed retirement incentive option was not profitable for the district. She added that the initial MAEA retirement incentive plan, proposed in April, also did not garner much support from the board.

"Neither one was in the best interest of the district," she said.

Edgell tried to present the new proposal to a board planning committee Tuesday but was asked to submit it in written form, so the board could review the information before the presentation.

"At first I was concerned and irritated about not being able to speak," Edgell said, adding that since then he has realized that "we want to be on the same page with the board on issues where we need the board's agreement."

As a result, union member Greg Seppanen is currently working with Tim Yeadon, assistant superintendent for finance for MAPS, on refining the second proposal. Edgell said he does not know when the proposal will be ready to be presented to the board.

"There is still a chance," he said of the possibility of a buyout for teachers before the 2009-10 school year begins. "Our purpose is to keep the issue on the table."

Even after MAPS decided on $1.9 million in cuts for its 2009-10 budget in April, the board is still trying to reduce a remaining projected shortfall of $1.7 million.