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Poland schools chief: Board wanted me back
By Denise Dick
By DENISE DICK
poland
He did it because his bosses asked him to do it.
That’s what Poland schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Zorn says about his reasons for retiring during the 2005-06 school year and being rehired to the same position.
“The board asked me to do it,” he said. “They wanted to save money. I’m from a generation where, when your boss asks you to do something, you do it.”
Retiring and being rehired to the same job is a common practice among school superintendents across Ohio and the Mahoning Valley.
What Zorn says makes his case different is the pay.
During the 2005-06 school year, Zorn earned $96,000. He was rehired at the top pay for a teacher, $66,000 annually. This year, his pay is $74,888, increased as the top-teacher salary has increased.
Other superintendents retire and are rehired at the same salary, he said.
By agreeing to the board’s request, the district has saved nearly $50,000 each year since, Zorn said.
“What I asked the board to do was to use the money saved for something for the kids,” he said. “I didn’t want it just to go into the general fund.”
The money has been used to renovate science classrooms/labs at Poland Seminary High School.
Elinor Zedaker is the only school board member serving both when Zorn’s retirement/rehiring was approved and now.
“I believe it was a great thing that Dr. Zorn agreed to do that,” she said.
The district was able to retain his experience and expertise while saving money.
Without the agreement, the school district wouldn’t have been able to complete the work on the science lab renovations as efficiently, Zedaker said.
Zorn started at the district 39 years ago as a teacher and also worked as a coach and a principal before being named superintendent in 1976.
His children and grandchildren earned their education in the Poland schools.
“I wanted to give something back to Poland and the schools,” Zorn said.
Through retiring and being rehired, Zorn’s pension is capped at the 2005-06 school year figure.
“It won’t increase,” he said.
The pension is based on an employee’s three highest earning years.
The school district pays Zorn’s contribution to the State Teachers Retirement System, as it does for all of its administrators.
Since Zorn’s retirement/rehire, seven Poland teachers also have taken advantage of the program. Three of those teachers are still working in the district with two of them expected to retire at the end of this school year.
Zorn acknowledged that some people frown upon retire/rehire policies and view those who use them as “double dippers.”
He believes a lot of that is based on a lack of understanding about how the policy works. Others just believe some public employees make too much money, Zorn said.
“If you have someone who retires and collects Social Security and then gets another job, you don’t call them a double dipper,” he said.