WILMINGTON AREA DISTRICT 10 schoolteachers opt for retirement incentive

Ten teachers will be retiring by July 15.
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Teachers retiring in the Wilmington Area School District under an incentive program will save the district $200,000 to $220,000 next school year, the superintendent said.
The district offered interested employees $24,000, to be placed into an account for health and/or dental insurance for the employees and their spouses until the age of 65.
Health Care benefits are not usually offered in a retirement package for Wilmington professional employees.
Superintendent Dr. Michael Hink said after Monday night's board meeting that he originally expected about six to eight employees to accept the offer.
Ten teachers have accepted the retirement incentive and will be retiring by July 15.
Average salary
The yearly salary of the teachers who are retiring averages around $54,000. The beginning salary for a new teacher is $29,000.
That will be a big savings to the district and could not have come at a better time, Hink said.
The district saw a 2 percent decrease in state subsidies for basic education. Special education funding decreased from 10 percent last year to 1.5 percent this year.
A state mandate is requiring all school districts to increase their contributions into the Pennsylvania State Employee Retirement System. Wilmington's contributions increased from 1.09 percent to 5.64 percent -- a net cost of about $175,000.
Kindergarten program
The board agreed to offer an extended kindergarten day option for selected students in the Title I program.
The extended kindergarten day will be a remedial option that provides additional learning opportunities for pupils who may show some learning difficulties.
The eligible pupils will be identified through the kindergarten registration process. Funding for the program will be through the current Title I program.