Today, Collette, 58, continues to work for South-Western schools, making $107,000 a year and collecting a pension probably equal to two-thirds of her $86,000 annual salary at "retirement."

Across the state, Ohio's State Teachers Retirement System paid out more than $741 million in pension benefits last school year to 15,857 faculty and staff members who were still working for school systems and building up a second retirement plan.

That's an average of almost $46,800 in annual pension payments per retired-rehired worker -- more than Ohio's median household income in 2007.

Almost 1,100 employees statewide were receiving an average pension payment last school year of $67,100 while simultaneously earning from $70,000 to

more than $100,000 working for a school district.

Of that group, 299 went back to work earning more than $100,000 a year while earning pensions averaging $80,500, according to the system's records.

The number of retired rehirees has grown steadily by between 5 percent and 12 percent a year since lawmakers allowed the practice in 2000. At this rate, by next year there will be about twice as many as there were in 1999.

To retire, an employee must either be 55 years old or have 30 years of service.

But the State Teachers Retirement System doesn't think that allowing workers to be rehired after retiring causes them to retire earlier on average, or costs the system any more money, said spokeswoman Laura Ecklar.

"We aren't allowing anybody anything -- this is in state statute," Ecklar said. "We're just following the law."

The vast majority of the state's retired rehirees -- 11,239 of them -- returned to jobs that earn $20,000 or less a year, meaning they are likely part-time substitute teachers, Ecklar said.

Despite that, some school districts, and their residents, have been questioning the practice.

Scrutiny is likely to grow now that the cash-strapped retirement system is asking school districts to pay more into it to make up for declining investments. The teachers' pension fund is asking districts to increase their contribution to 16.5 percent, from the current 14 percent, during five years starting in 2016.

"Every time it comes up, members of the community are often outraged by the perception of double-dipping," said Worthington school board member Marc Schare, at whose urging the district held a public meeting on the issue several weeks ago.

Schare said it would be one thing to offer such generous benefits if districts faced a tight labor market because of an overheated economy.

"But we don't," he said. "We have a teacher glut."

South-Western recently changed its policy and no longer allows the practice, mainly because the State Teachers Retirement System stopped paying for retirees' health care, said spokeswoman Sandy Nekoloff. Before then, districts had an incentive to dump the employee's health-care costs onto the system.

School employees haven't always been able to retire then walk back into another job. Before a 2000 change to state law, retirees covered by the state retirement system had to wait 18 months before working again if they wanted to collect full pensions.

Some districts pay both the district's and employee's contributions into the system for managers. That means the taxpayer is completely on the hook for paying for the rehired administrator's second retirement plan -- an annuity that functions similar to a 401(k) that the employee can collect when he really retires.  (This is regular hiring practice in OLSD - see district policy as regularly reported @ OSB meetings)

The 10 or so retired- rehired employees at Worthington schools are mostly managers, meaning the district pays their pension contributions, said Treasurer Jeff McCuen.

Worthington administrators get rehired at between 85 percent and 90 percent of their former salary, depending on whether they immediately cash out accumulated sick leave that can equal tens of thousands of dollars in severance pay, he said.  Read More @

"So there's a savings there," McCuen said.  But even if the district saves, does the public?

The Ohio School Boards Association thinks the practice is "relatively cost-neutral," said Damon Asbury, director of legislative services for the group and the former head of the State Teachers Retirement System.   "The person is not earning any additional benefit than another person in that same position," Asbury said.

Olentangy Local Schools now has 4 websites!
In case you couldn't find the district's web-site, the OLSD Administration has now made it easier for you!  OLSD recently accepted a donation of $40.00 from an anonymous donor who bought the 3 new web site domains (www.educateolentangy.com; www.educateolentangy.org; www.educateolentangy.net).  Now why would a district of highly educated individuals need to have 4 web-sites that say the exact same thing? [All roads lead to: www.olentangy.k12.oh.us/.]  One has to wonder exactly what the motive is here and why is someone spending their money on something OLSD doesn't need? Listen to the audio from the 09/29/09 OSB meeting for the answers by Dr. Lucas....http://www.olentangy.k12.oh.us/district/board/mtgs.html

•          Come to the Olentangy School Board Meetings, you are always welcome!