With the new school year approaching and nearly 250 teacher vacancies still unfilled, Northside Independent School District is turning to an unexpected source for help: retired teachers.
Will that unprecedented move ensure every classroom has a certified teacher? So far so good, NISD district spokesperson Barry Perez said, noting that calls from former educators are rolling into human resources department.
“As of Monday of this week, we had right at about 249 vacancies to fill,” Perez said. “Now, since Monday, I know that number has come down just a little bit.”
The number of retired teachers who are back on the rolls since Monday increased by around 20, he added.
Eligible retirees can continue receiving their annuity from Teacher Retirement System while also earning a salary from Northside, according to Perez. The district also is footing the bill of a pension surcharge, which is roughly 16%. That surcharge is often passed onto the employee.
Eligible teachers looking to return must have been retired for at least one calendar year to qualify, according to TRS rules.
Howard Villarreal, a former NISD teacher with more than 20 years’ experience, is one of those stepping out of retirement. He left the profession December 31, 2020, and said the financial benefits offered by NISD were a key motivator for getting him back into the classroom.
“I knew I wasn’t finished, I knew I had a good 10 years left in me,” Villarreal told the Current.
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