LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Retired teachers across Kentucky could be brought back into the classroom, potentially for a lot of money. Some retirees could make more than six figures to help out during a teacher shortage.
Thanks to Senate Bill 1, retired teachers would be paid to come back to the classroom while keeping their pension.
"We're really encouraging retired teachers to come back to us and help us out," said Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio.
At the special session in Frankfort this month, lawmakers addressed some concerns about education during the pandemic. Because of the statewide teacher shortage, school districts can go from hiring just 1% of retired teachers to 10%.
"We can now hire approximately 650 retired teachers, full-time, that don't have to give up their pension," said Pollio.
As for the payroll, pandemic relief money can pay their salary, at the same rate as before retirement. The change to the law now allows the state's retired teachers to double dip through mid-January.
"If a retired teacher worked 30 years in JCPS with a Rank 1 (salary), the teacher's pension is approximately $64,000 a year. We can now hire that teacher back full-time at the salary they left JCPS," said Pollio. "That teacher can make approximately $84,000 dollars on top of a $64,000 pension. That is an excellent income for a teacher to come back and work for us for a year."
JCPS says it has various jobs available at nearly every school. Potential hires, including substitutes, could even choose which school they'd like to work at.
"If they meet the requirements, they can say, 'I only want to sub or pick up a job at a specific school,'" said Pollio.
JCPS says it will push lawmakers to extend this benefit from January through the rest of the school year.
Other local school districts, including Bullitt and Hardin County Schools, also plan to use the benefit.
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