Broadcast e-mail archive for employers

The MTRS works to keep school district administrators and business officials up to date by sending periodic announcements via e-mails and presenting educational seminars for payroll and human resource representatives.

If you are a school district administrator and you are not on our e-mail list to receive regular updates from us, please let us know your e-mail address.

Date	Topic(s)
5/13/13	MTRS retirement seminar update: Final programs just added!
5/7/13	MTRS retirement seminar reminder and updates; Worcester program just added!
4/26/13	MTRS announces spring retirement seminars--Please spread the word!
3/13/13	MTRS reminder: April 2 is the deadline for purchasing §3 service at lower interest rate
2/15/13	MTRS §3 service purchases at buyback interest: Member app portion due 4/2/2013; employer app portion due 10/2/2013
12/18/12	MTRS Update December 2012
11/29/12	MTRS notice: MyTRS to be unavailable Th 11/29, 6-11:30 pm
11/26/12	Reminder: MTRS "Ready for Retirement" seminars scheduled!
11/9/12	MTRS announces programs for members retiring within the next year!
11/8/12	MTRS notice: MyTRS to be unavailable Th 11/08, 5-8 pm
10/31/12	MTRS update: Redesigned MTRS website to launch Friday, November 2
10/24/12	MTRS notice: MyTRS to be unavailable Th 10/25, 6-11 pm
7/31/12	MTRS reminder: 2011 deduction reporting deadline is August 31, 2012
7/3/12	MTRS update: Online member enrollment process restored and now available
6/28/12	MTRS update: Our newsletters to active and retired members now online
5/9/12	MTRS update: Additional info on two recent pension reform measures
4/19/12	MTRS update: Deduction reporting progress; future steps and deadlines, if applicable
4/18/12	MTRS announces Spring retirement information seminars
3/27/12	MTRS update: You will need to change your MyTRS password on or after April 5, 2012
2/16/12	MTRS update: Deduction reporting
12/16/11	MTRS Board news: Karen Mitchell and Dennis Naughton elected; longtime member John Dow retires
12/8/11	MTRS updates: Pension reform, revised Retirement Application, the Open Checkbook initiative
11/15/11	MTRS update: Member Enrollment Form now available in downloadable format
11/10/11	MTRS news: Board election and appointee updates
10/6/11	MTRS announces programs for members retiring within the next year!
10/4/11	MTRS Enrollment form update
9/1/11	MTRS Enrollment form
9/29/11	MTRS update: Notice of MTRS Board election
5/3/11	MTRS notice: Six additional MyTRS training sessions scheduled; 14 updated guides now online
4/25/11	Notice: MTRS Furlough Policy expires on June 30, 2011
4/11/11	MTRS announces Spring retirement information seminars
2/28/11	MTRS notice: MyTRS training sessions now scheduled—please register online to attend

May 13, 2013

Subject: MTRS retirement seminar update: Final programs just added!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As we've announced to you in two earlier e-mails, we are now presenting "Your MTRS Benefits," our general retirement seminar, across the state. We have just added three new dates, and with these additions, our spring program schedule is now complete:

South Yarmouth: Thursday, May 30, Dennis Yarmouth Regional High School auditorium, 210 Station Avenue
Cambridge: Tuesday, June 4, MTRS Cambridge office, 1st floor Presentation Room, One Charles Park
Cambridge: Thursday, June 6, MTRS Cambridge office, 1st floor Presentation Room, One Charles Park

Program details and remaining dates are below; online registration is required and is available at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

Once again, if you can help us publicize these programs by letting your employees who are MTRS members know about them, we would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you in advance for your continued assistance to us and our members!

Sincerely,
Joan Schloss

==========
Joan Schloss
Executive Director
Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System
One Charles Park, Cambridge, MA 02142-1206
Phone: 617-679-MTRS (6877)
http://mass.gov/mtrs
==========

Your MTRS Benefits
For members with effective membership dates prior to April 2, 2012

Your MTRS Benefits is an optional, free, two-hour (4-6 p.m.) informal program for members who want more information about MTRS retirement benefits--whether you are a two-year member, mid-career educator or soon-to-be retiree. Topics include:

MTRS benefits and services,
estimating your retirement benefits under the regular and RetirementPlus formulas,
various issues you need to consider in retirement, including health insurance coverage, taxation of your retirement benefit, the rules on working after retirement, Social Security--and more!

Program schedule
WOBURN, Tuesday, May 14; Woburn High School auditorium
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Thursday, May 16; West Springfield High School auditorium
WEYMOUTH, Tuesday, May 21; Weymouth High School auditorium
WORCESTER, Tuesday, May 21; Worcester Technical High School auditorium
NORTON, Wednesday, May 22; Norton Middle School auditorium
JUST ADDED: SOUTH YARMOUTH, Thursday, May 30; Dennis Yarmouth Regional High School auditorium
JUST ADDED: CAMBRIDGE, Tuesday, June 4; MTRS Cambridge office, 1st floor Presentation Room
JUST ADDED: CAMBRIDGE, Thursday, June 6; MTRS Cambridge office, 1st floor Presentation Room

To attend, simply register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

May 7, 2013

Subject: MTRS retirement seminar reminder and updates; Worcester program just added!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As we announced to you in an e-mail of April 26, we will soon be presenting "Your MTRS Benefits," our two-hour retirement education program for all members who want to learn about the MTRS retirement plan and benefits. You and your staff are also invited to attend!

Please note these updates:

Just added: Worcester, Tuesday, May 21, Worcester Technical High School auditorium, 1 Skyline Drive
Date changed: West Springfield presentation changed from Thursday, May 9 to Thursday, May 16; same location, West Springfield High School auditorium, 425 Piper Road
Coming soon: Presentations in Cambridge and on the Cape, to be announced on our website and via e-mail

The updated program schedule is below; online registration is required and is available at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

Please help us publicize "Your MTRS Benefits" by letting your employees know that it is being offered in the coming weeks (starting this Thursday in Ipswich), and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their retirement benefit questions. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, we would greatly appreciate your forwarding this message to your MTRS members via e-mail.

Questions? Contact us at mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us or 617-679-6895. Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide in letting our members know about the programs!

Sincerely,
Joan Schloss

==========
Joan Schloss
Executive Director
Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System
One Charles Park, Cambridge, MA 02142-1206
Phone: 617-679-MTRS (6877)
http://mass.gov/mtrs
==========

Your MTRS Benefits
For members with effective membership dates prior to April 2, 2012

Your MTRS Benefits is an optional, free, two-hour (4-6 p.m.) informal program for members who want more information about MTRS retirement benefits--whether you are a two-year member, mid-career educator or soon-to-be retiree. Topics include:

MTRS benefits and services,
estimating your retirement benefits under the regular and RetirementPlus formulas,
various issues you need to consider in retirement, including health insurance coverage, taxation of your retirement benefit, the rules on working after retirement, Social Security--and more!

Program schedule
IPSWICH, Thursday, May 9; Ipswich High School auditorium
WOBURN, Tuesday, May 14; Woburn High School auditorium
NOTE DATE CHANGE: WEST SPRINGFIELD, Thursday, May 16; West Springfield High School auditorium
WEYMOUTH, Tuesday, May 21; Weymouth High School auditorium
JUST ADDED: WORCESTER, Tuesday, May 21; Worcester Technical High School auditorium
NORTON, Wednesday, May 22; Norton Middle School auditorium

With programs in Cambridge and on the Cape to be announced via e-mail and on our website!

To attend, simply register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

April 26, 2013

Subject: MTRS announces spring retirement seminars--Please spread the word!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please help us spread the word to your employees—our spring seminars are starting soon!

This year, we are presenting only "Your MTRS Benefits," our two-hour retirement education program for all members who want to learn about the MTRS retirement plan and benefits. The current program schedule is below, and additional dates and locations will be announced via e-mail and on our website soon; online registration is required and is available at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

Unfortunately, we will not be offering "The Next Chapter," our all-day retirement planning program, due to the demands of implementing Pension Reform III. However, we do expect to present it again next spring.

Please help us publicize "Your MTRS Benefits" by letting your employees know that it is being offered in the coming weeks, and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their retirement benefit questions. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, we would greatly appreciate your forwarding this message to your MTRS members via e-mail.

If you have any questions about our upcoming seminars or any other retirement issues, please be sure to contact us at mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us. And thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide in letting our members know about the programs.

Sincerely,
Joan Schloss

==========
Joan Schloss
Executive Director
Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System
One Charles Park, Cambridge, MA 02142-1206
Phone: 617-679-MTRS (6877)
http://mass.gov/mtrs
==========

Your MTRS Benefits
For members with effective membership dates prior to April 2, 2012

Your MTRS Benefits is an optional, free, two-hour (4-6 p.m.) informal program for members who want more information about MTRS retirement benefits--whether you are a two-year member, mid-career educator or soon-to-be retiree. Topics include:

• MTRS benefits and services,
• estimating your retirement benefits under the regular and RetirementPlus formulas,
• various issues you need to consider in retirement, including health insurance coverage, taxation of your retirement benefit, the rules on working after retirement, Social Security--and more!

Program schedule
IPSWICH, Thursday, May 9; Ipswich High School auditorium
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Thursday, May 9; West Springfield High School auditorium
WOBURN, Tuesday, May 14; Woburn High School auditorium
WEYMOUTH, Tuesday, May 21; Weymouth High School auditorium
NORTON, Wednesday, May 22; Norton Middle School auditorium
With additional dates and locations to be announced via e-mail and on our website!

To attend, simply register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

March 13, 2013

Subject: MTRS reminder: April 2 is the deadline for purchasing §3 service at lower interest rate

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,
As a final reminder, and also clarification of our e-mail of February 15, the application filing deadlines for §3 creditable service purchases at the current, lower "buyback" interest rate of 4.125% are as follows:

For members to file at least Part 1, the "member portion" of their application: TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013.
For members to file Part 2, the "employer portion" of the application: Wednesday, October 2, 2013.

As described in our e-mail of February 15, the only change in the application process was to allow members to submit the "employer portion" separately from the "member portion" and at a later time.

Available now on our website are updated versions of our §3 service purchase applications that reference the filing deadlines and have clearly separated member and employer sections. If a member has already asked you to complete an "old" version of the "employer portion" of one of our applications, please feel free to use either the "old" form that the member provided or the new version of Part 2. For your reference, the updated interactive version of Part 2 of our substitute, temporary or part-time service purchase application is also available.

Finally, to remind members of the April 2 deadline, we will also be sending a "last call" broadcast e-mail to our members for whom we have e-mail addresses very soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Employer Services representative at 617-679-6895 or mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us.

February 15, 2013

Subject: MTRS §3 service purchases at buyback interest: Member app portion due 4/2/2013; employer app portion due 10/2/2013

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As you know, pursuant to pension reform legislation enacted in November 2011, the interest rate charged on certain service purchases will double from "buyback" interest (currently, 4.125%) to "actuarial" interest (currently, 8.25%) as of April 2, 2013—which is rapidly approaching.

Many of you have reported being inundated with urgent requests to document members' prior employment histories on our service purchase application forms. To help ease the administrative burden on you, and also accommodate any members who still wish to qualify for the current, lower "buyback" interest rate, our Board recently extended the time for members to submit the employer portion of their §3 service purchase application to October 2, 2013. Accordingly:

If members are unable to submit their fully completed §3 service purchase applications by April 2, 2013, they may still preserve their right to an initial invoice at the current, lower, "buyback" interest rate by submitting at least the completed "member portion" of their service purchase applications (generally, Part 1) to us so that it is postmarked on or before April 2, 2013, and then submitting the completed "employer portion" (generally, Part 2) no later than October 2, 2013.

When members receive their initial invoice—which may take up to 12 months—they will then have until 60 days from the date of that invoice either to pay for their purchase in full or to submit both their signed installment plan agreement and their first installment payment together. If they do not act by 60 days from the date of their invoice, or default on their installment agreement, and they later wish to purchase this service, they will be subject to the interest rate in effect at that time, which—after April 2, 2013—will be actuarial interest. (As a reminder, all purchases of service credit still must be completed prior to a member’s date of retirement.)

We will soon send a broadcast e-mail to our members for whom we have e-mail addresses to remind them of the interest rate increase and outline the new filing policy.

If you have any questions, please contact your Employer Services representative. As always, thank you for all that you do for us and our members throughout the year. We truly appreciate your efforts.

December 18, 2012

Subject: MTRS Update December 2012

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,
I am pleased to report that later this week we are mailing a consolidated 2010-2011 member annual statement. The statement will include your employees’ 2010 annuity savings balance along with their 2011 contributions and interest. We appreciate your continued efforts and assistance in closing the books on the calendar year 2010 and 2011 deduction reports.

I am also pleased to report that with the significant progress districts are making with their 2012 reports, we anticipate mailing our 2012 member statements by June of 2013. This will place us on our normal schedule for mailing annual statements. In order to mail statements in June, districts must have all of their 2012 deduction reports finalized by March 31, 2013.

Currently, 63% of the 2012 deduction reports due as of December 1, 2012 have been finalized. We have projected a 72% completion rate by December 31st, 82% by January 31st, 91% by February 28th and 100% by March 31st. In the next few days we will be mailing individual letters to Superintendents of districts that are severely delinquent in their reporting. We will continue to communicate with delinquent districts on a monthly basis in order to meet the March 31st deadline. As I have noted before, this is a team effort so please don’t hesitate to notify us if we can be of any assistance.

Below are a few helpful hints or recommended steps that may assist you in the deduction reporting process:

Make sure to submit your payments and have your reports imported to MyTRS by the 10th of each month. If you are still working on a reporting backlog, it is important to import your current report to avoid the risk of complications that may arise in the future by importing an outdated file later.
Make sure new staff enroll in the MTRS in a timely manner using our online enrollment tool. Please do not use the paper form that we temporarily made available when our online form was unavailable. Reminder: There is a one day delay between when an employee is registered in MyTRS and when that employee can enroll using our online enrollment form.
Verify contribution rates for all new employees with prior service, once they have been registered in MyTRS, by clicking on View/Update Member Information in MyTRS.
Make sure the following fields are updated in your payroll software, especially for new employees, to ensure the contract information you are reporting on a monthly basis is correct:
- Full-time equivalent contract salary
- Position code
- Full-time percentage
- Contract term
- Pay Duration
- Pay Frequency

We have recently become aware of a couple of membership eligibility issues that we believe may apply to multiple employers. If one of the situations below applies to your district and you need assistance correcting the problem, please contact us so we can work together to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

ROTC instructors: If your district has an ROTC program and the instructors are NOT required to be ESE certified as a condition of their employment, those instructors are NOT eligible for MTRS membership.
Occupational and Physical Therapists: If your district employs occupational and physical therapists who are required to have and maintain a certification from the Board of Allied Health Professionals as a condition of employment and meet our contract and full-time requirements, those therapists are eligible for MTRS membership.
Athletic Directors: Many districts pay a full-time employee who is eligible for MTRS membership because of their primary role in the district, generally a teacher, to serve as a part-time athletic director. Some districts have decided to hire a full-time athletic director. If your district has a full-time athletic director and your athletic director is NOT required to be ESE certified as a condition of his or her employment, your athletic director is NOT eligible for MTRS membership. Compensation for part-time athletic directors who are otherwise MTRS eligible is subject to the regular compensation requirements listed on our website. To review these requirements, please see our website on regular compensation here: http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/employers/training-and-reference/regular-compensation-pensionable-earnings/ .

Finally, as most employers know, a retired member of the MTRS is limited in how much he or she may earn through Massachusetts public employment in a calendar year. Essentially, that section limits post-retirement earnings in a calendar year to the difference between the member’s retirement allowance and the salary that is being paid for the position from which he or she retired, plus $15,000. (That section also limits the number of hours that can be worked in a year at 960 hours annually.)

Some retirees have concluded, erroneously, that they can defer money earned in one year to another year and stay within the limit. Under this theory, a retiree can work as much as he or she desires in any given year so long as the earnings in excess of that year’s limit are paid in another year. Employers should be aware that this practice violates the plain language of the statute, and the MTRS will attribute any deferred salary earned to the year in which it is earned, regardless of when it is paid.

If you have any questions regarding your district’s compliance, please do not hesitate to contact: Robert George, Director of Employer Services, at 617-679-6869; Sean Neilon, Assistant Executive Director, at 617-679-6889; or me, at 617-679-6810.

November 29, 2012

Subject: Reminder: MTRS "Ready for Retirement" seminars scheduled!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please note that MyTRS will be unavailable on Thursday, November 29, between 6:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., so that we may perform scheduled maintenance.

November 26, 2012

Subject: Reminder: MTRS "Ready for Retirement" seminars scheduled!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,  

As we announced to you in an e-mail of November 9, we will soon be presenting our popular “Ready for Retirement” program for members who are retiring within the next year. At this time, we want to ask that you please help us spread the word to your employees.  

As possible, please remind your soon-to-be-retiring employees that we’re offering this program—and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their questions about retirement benefits. PLEASE DISTRIBUTE this information to any MTRS member retiring this year.  

Thank you for your continued assistance to our members and us—we truly appreciate your efforts!  

With best wishes, 
Joan Schloss  

==========
 Joan Schloss 
Executive Director 
Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System 
One Charles Park, Cambridge, MA 02142-1206 
Main phone: 617-679-MTRS (6877) 
Fax: 617-679-1661 
http://mass.gov/mtrs 
==========

READY FOR RETIREMENT 
For members retiring in 2013  

The MTRS staff will be presenting our popular seminar, “Ready for Retirement,” across the Commonwealth in November and December. “Ready for Retirement” is a free, optional, two-hour program (4-6 p.m.) designed for members retiring in 2013. We’re reaching out to soon-to-be retirees before the retirement season starts so that when you begin the application process, you will know just what you need to do and when.  

Topics include: 
* the retirement application process and the benefit calculation formula, 
* timelines and service expectations, 
* first payment information, 
* health insurance, tax and working after retirement issues, 
* cost-of-living adjustments after you retire, and 
* recent changes to Massachusetts pension law and what they mean for you.  

Please note: Personalized account information and pension estimates are not offered during these sessions.  

To attend, simply choose the date and location that is best for you, and then register online. Our simple online registration form is located at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/register/r4r.html. We hope to see you soon!

HYANNIS, Thursday, November 29, Barnstable High School Knight auditorium  
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Thursday, November 29, West Springfield High School auditorium
WOBURN, Tuesday, December 4, Woburn High School auditorium
AUBURN, Wednesday, December 5, Auburn High School auditorium  
IPSWICH, Thursday, December 6, Ipswich High School auditorium
CAMBRIDGE, Monday, December 10, MTRS Cambridge office (PROGRAM FULL)
WEYMOUTH, Thursday, December 13, Weymouth High School auditorium
CAMBRIDGE, Monday, December 17, MTRS Cambridge office
FOXBOROUGH, Tuesday, December 18, Foxborough High School auditorium

Top

November 9, 2012

Subject: MTRS announces programs for members retiring within the next year!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please help us spread the word to your employees who are planning to retire within the next year—we’ve scheduled our “Ready for Retirement” seminars!

The MTRS staff will again be presenting this popular program across the Commonwealth in November and December. Space is limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online preregistration is required for this program, and our simple online registration form is accessible via a link from our homepage at http://mass.gov/mtrs .

We are asking for your help to publicize these seminars. Please remind your soon-to-be-retiring employees that we’re offering this program—and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their questions about retirement benefits. We have attached a one-page flyer in pdf format, and respectfully ask that you print and post it, or distribute it to your employees who are members of the MTRS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, PLEASE DISTRIBUTE this information to any MTRS member retiring this year.

Thank you for your continued assistance to our members and us—we truly appreciate your efforts!

With best wishes, 
Joan Schloss

========== 
Joan Schloss 
Executive Director 
Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System 
One Charles Park, Cambridge, MA 02142-1206 
Main phone: 617-679-MTRS (6877) 
Fax: 617-679-1661 
http://mass.gov/mtrs 
==========

READY FOR RETIREMENT 
For members retiring in 2013

Topics include: 

the retirement application process and the benefit calculation formula, 
timelines and service expectations, 
first payment information, 
health insurance, tax and working after retirement issues, 
cost-of-living adjustments after you retire, and 
recent changes to Massachusetts pension law and what they mean for you.

Please note: Personalized account information and pension estimates are not offered during these sessions.

LEE, Tuesday, November 20, Lee Middle and High School auditorium 
HYANNIS, Thursday, November 29, Barnstable High School Knight auditorium  
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Thursday, November 29, West Springfield High School auditorium
WOBURN, Tuesday, December 4, Woburn High School auditorium
AUBURN, Wednesday, December 5, Auburn High School auditorium  
IPSWICH, Thursday, December 6, Ipswich High School auditorium
CAMBRIDGE, Monday, December 10, MTRS Cambridge office
WEYMOUTH, Thursday, December 13, Weymouth High School auditorium
CAMBRIDGE, Monday, December 17, MTRS Cambridge office
FOXBOROUGH, Tuesday, December 18, Foxborough High School auditorium

November 8, 2012

Subject: MTRS notice: MyTRS to be unavailable Th 11/08, 5-8 pm

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please note that MyTRS will be unavailable on Thursday, November 8, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., so that we may perform emergency maintenance.

October 31, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: Redesigned MTRS website to launch Friday, November 2

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

We are pleased to announce that we will launch our newly redesigned website on Friday, November 2. We'll still be at mass.gov/mtrs, but with a new look and these features:

Fresh, clean "Mass.Gov" design: With this redesign, we have joined other state agencies in support of the Commonwealth's efforts to present "one face of government." The new look is simple, modern and streamlined.
Clearly labeled areas for active and inactive members, benefit recipients, and employers: Prominent, top-level buttons allow for easy navigation to each of these areas from any page on the site.
Quick access to "MyTRS Employer sign in" and "Related resources": In the right column on all Employer pages, you'll find the link to the MyTRS Employer sign in page, as well as links to various forms, external sites, directories and other internal web pages related to the topic at hand.
Archive of recent broadcast e-mails sent to active and retired members: Reference our past e-mail announcements and updates to active and retired members.
Updated content reflecting the provisions of "Pension Reform III" for all members: Last year's pension reform legislation affected active and retired MTRS members, and significantly changed the benefit structure for new members who join the MTRS on or after April 2, 2012. Our redesigned site contains updated content that reflects these changes, including the provisions for new members.

PLEASE NOTE: The links to our homepage and Employer MyTRS sign in page REMAIN THE SAME; however, all other links have changed. Accordingly, if you have marked any of our other pages as "favorites" or "bookmarks," or linked to any of our pages from your website, please be sure to update your links.

If you have any feedback on our new look, please send your comments to mailto:webmaster@trb.state.ma.us. We welcome your thoughts and suggestions for improving our website and services to you and our members!

October 24, 2012

Subject: MTRS notice: MyTRS to be unavailable Th 10/25, 6-11 pm

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please note that MyTRS will be unavailable on Thursday, October 25, between 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., so that we may perform scheduled maintenance.

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July 31, 2012

Subject: MTRS reminder: 2011 deduction reporting deadline is August 31, 2012

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

I am writing to remind you that the deadline for all districts to have completed their 2011 deduction reports is Friday, August 31 (see our e-mail to you of April 19, at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/4emp/4empemail.htm#a04192012).  As of today, nearly 300 districts (listed below) have completed their 2011 reports, and 82% of all 2011 deduction reports have been finalized. If your district is:

on the list, you are in compliance with the deadline--thank you!

not on the list, please let us know if you need any assistance in meeting this deadline, as we are here to help. As a reminder, districts that fail to comply with the August 31st deadline will be referred to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE).

If you have any questions regarding your district’s compliance, please do not hesitate to contact: Robert George, Director of Employer Services, at 617-679-6869; Sean Neilon, Assistant Executive Director, at 617-679-6889; or me, at 617-679-6810.  

Sincerely,
 Joan Schloss

As of July 31, 2012: School districts in compliance with 2011 deduction reporting deadline of August 31, 2012 
(All deduction reports for 2011 have been submitted) 

ABINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ACADEMY OF THE PACIFIC RIM CHARTER SCHOOL 
ACTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ACTON-BOXBOROUGH REGIONAL SCHOOL 
ACUSHNET PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ADAMS-CHESHIRE REGIONAL SCHOOLS 
ADVANCED MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
 AGAWAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ALMA DEL MAR CHARTER SCHOOL
 AMHERST PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 ASHBURNHAM-WESTMINSTER REGIONAL SCHOOL
 ASHLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ASSABET VALLEY COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL 
ASSABET VALLEY REGIONAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
 ATHOL-ROYALSTON REGIONAL SCHOOL
 ATLANTIS CHARTER SCHOOL 
AUBURN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
AVON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 AYER SHIRLEY REGIONAL
 BARNSTABLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 BEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BELCHERTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BELLINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BELMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BENJAMIN BANNEKER CHARTER SCHOOL
 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL 
BERKLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BERKSHIRE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY CHARTER 
BERKSHIRE HILLS REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
BERLIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BERLIN-BOYLSTON REGIONAL SCHOOL
 BEVERLY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BICOUNTY COLLABORATIVE
 BILLERICA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 BLACKSTONE VALLEY REGIONAL VOCATIONAL 
BLUE HILLS REGIONAL TECHNICAL 
BOSTON COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOL
 BOSTON PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL 
BOURNE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BOXBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BOXFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BOYLSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BRAINTREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BREWSTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BRIDGE BOSTON CHARTER SCHOOL 
BRISTOL COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 
BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 BROOKLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
BURLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CANTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CAPE COD LIGHTHOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL 
CAPS COLLABORATIVE 
CARLISLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CARVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 CASE COLLABORATIVE 
CENTRAL BERKSHIRE REGIONAL 
CENTRAL MASS. SPEC. ED. COLLABORATIVE 
CHATHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CHELSEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CHESTERFIELD-GOSHEN REGIONAL
 CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CHRISTA MCAULIFFE REG. CHARTER P.S. 
CITY ON A HILL CHARTER SCHOOL 
CLARKSBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CLINTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
CODMAN ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL 
COHASSET PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL OF CAMBRIDGE
 COMMUNITY DAY CHARTER SCHOOL 
CONSERVATORY LAB CHARTER SCHOOL 
CONWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
DANVERS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 DARTMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
DEERFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 DIGHTON-REHOBOTH REGIONAL SCHOOL 
DIMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL 
DORCHESTER COLLEGIATE ACADEMY CHARTER
 DOVER-SHERBORN REGIONAL SCHOOL 
EAST BRIDGEWATER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
EAST LONGMEADOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
EASTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 EASTHAMPTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
EDWARD BROOKE CHARTER SCHOOL 
EDWARD W. BROOKE CHARTER SCHOOL 2 
ERVING PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ESSEX COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL 
EXCEL ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL-CHELSEA
 FALL RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
FALMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
FARMINGTON RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
FLLAC COLLABORATIVE
 FLORIDA PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
FOUR RIVER CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL
 FOXBORO REGIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL
 FOXBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
FRAMINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
FRANCIS W. PARKER CHARTER SCHOOL
 FRANKLIN COUNTY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
 FRONTIER REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
GARDNER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
GEORGETOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 GILL-MONTAGUE REGIONAL
 GLOBAL LEARNING CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL
 GLOUCESTER COMMUNITY ARTS CHARTER SCHOOL 
GLOUCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 GOSNOLD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 GRAFTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
GRANBY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 GRANVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 GREATER LAWRENCE REGIONAL 
GREATER LOWELL REGIONAL 
GREATER NEW BEDFORD REGIONAL VOCATIONAL
 GROTON-DUNSTABLE REGIONAL 
GROVE HALL PREP CHARTER SCHOOL 
HADLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HALIFAX PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 HAMPDEN CHARTER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 
HAMPDEN-WILBRAHAM REGIONAL 
HARWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HATFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HILLTOWN COOPERATIVE CHARTER SCHOOL 
HILLVIEW MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL 
HINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HOLLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 HOLLISTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HOLYOKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL
 HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HOPEDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HOPKINTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HUDSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
HULL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 INNOVATION ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
 IPSWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS KING PHILIP REGIONAL
 KINGSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
KIPP ACADEMY LYNN CHARTER SCHOOL 
LABBB COLLABORATIVE 
LAWRENCE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT CHARTER SCHOOL
 LAWRENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 LEICESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LENOX PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LEOMINSTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LEVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LITTLETON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LONGMEADOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LOWELL COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL 
LOWELL MIDDLESEX ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
 LUDLOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
LUNENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 LYNN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MANCHESTER ESSEX REGIONAL SCHOOL 
MANSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MARBLEHEAD COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL 
MARLBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MARSHFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MARTHA'S VINEYARD CHARTER SCHOOL 
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CHARTER SCHOOL 
MASS ACADEMY OF MATH AND SCIENCE 
MAYNARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MEDFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MEDWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MELROSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MENDON-UPTON REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
MERRIMACK COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL 
METHUEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MIDDLEBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MIDDLETON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MILLBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MILLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL 
MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
MONTACHUSETT REGIONAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL 
MOUNT GREYLOCK REGIONAL SCHOOL 
NAHANT PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NANTUCKET PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NARRAGANSETT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
NASHOBA REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
NASHOBA VALLEY TECH NATICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 NAUSET REGIONAL SCHOOL 
NEEDHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL 
NEW BEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NEW SALEM-WENDELL REGIONAL SCHOOL 
NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTH ANDOVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTH BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTH CENTRAL CHARTER ESSENTIAL SCHOOL
 NORTH MIDDLESEX REGIONAL SCHOOL 
NORTH READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTH RIVER COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL 
NORTH SHORE EDUCATION CONSORTIUM 
NORTH SHORE REGIONAL SCHOOL 
NORTHAMPTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTHBORO-SOUTHBORO REGIONAL SCHOOL 
NORTHBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTHBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE REGIONAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
 NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
ORLEANS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 OXFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PALMER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 PATHFINDER REGIONAL VOCATIONAL
 PEABODY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PEMBROKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PENTUCKET REGIONAL SCHOOL 
PHOENIX CHARTER ACADEMY 
PILGRIM AREA COLLABORATIVE 
PIONEER CHARTER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 
PIONEER VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CHARTER 
PIONEER VALLEY REGIONAL 
PITTSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PLAINVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PLYMPTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
PROVINCETOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
QUABBIN REGIONAL SCHOOL 
QUABOAG REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
RALPH C. MAHAR REGIONAL SCHOOL 
READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
READS COLLABORATIVE 
RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
RISING TIDE CHARTER 
RIVER VALLEY CHARTER SCHOOL 
SABIS INTERNATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL 
SALEM ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
 SALEM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SANDWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SAVOY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SCITUATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 SEEM COLLABORATIVE 
SHAWSHEEN VALLEY VOC. 
SHERBORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SHUTESBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SMITH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL 
SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SOUTH BERKSHIRE COLLABORATIVE 
SOUTH SHORE CHARTER SCHOOL 
SOUTH SHORE COLLABORATIVE
 SOUTH SHORE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
SOUTHAMPTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL VOC. SCHOOL DISTRICT 
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE REGIONAL 
SOUTHERN WORCESTER CO. ED. COLLAB. 
SOUTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY REGIONAL SCHOOL 
SOUTHWICK-TOLLAND REGIONAL 
SPENCER-EAST BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE CHARTER SCHOOL 
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
STONEHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
STURGIS CHARTER SCHOOL 
SUDBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
SUNDERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
TANTASQUA REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 
TAUNTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
TECH. COLLAB. THE ED. COOPERATIVE 
TEWKSBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 TISBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 TOPSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL SCHOOLS 
TRITON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
TRURO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
TYNGSBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
TYRINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
UP ISLAND REGIONAL SCHOOL 
WACHUSETT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 
WAKEFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WATERTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WEBSTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WELLFLEET PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WEST BOYLSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WEST BRIDGEWATER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WESTBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WESTFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WESTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WESTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WESTPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WESTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WEYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WHATELY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WHITMAN-HANSON REGIONAL 
WILLIAMSBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WILMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WINCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
WRENTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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July 3, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: Online member enrollment process restored and now available

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,  

I am pleased to report that we have resolved the technical difficulties we had experienced with our online member enrollment tool, and the original process is available online once again.  

Accordingly, please continue to register your new employees in MyTRS as you have been doing, and provide them with the Online Enrollment Assignment sheet that directs them to the “Enroll in the MTRS” page on our website. There, members will find the link to the online enrollment tool, as well as an important notice regarding how recent pension reform legislation affects their cost to purchase certain types of creditable service if they do not apply and pay for the purchase within the specified timeframe based on their membership history.  

We apologize for any inconvenience the interim process may have caused you and our members, and thank you all for your understanding and patience during these past several months. As always, if you or your staff have any questions or need assistance, please contact your assigned Employer Services Representative or our Employer Services unit at 617-679-6895 or mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us.

June 28, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: Our newsletters to active and retired members now online

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

For your reference, our vendor will soon be mailing our June 2012 newsletters to our active and retired members. Articles include:

Pension Reform III: What it means for MTRS members, including, for retirees, the increase in the post-retirement earnings limit and, for active members, the increase in the interest rate to be charged on certain service purchases beginning April 2, 2013 (how these two provisions affect employers was addressed in our broadcast e-mail to you of May 9, 2012, available in our e-mail archive at mass.gov/mtrs/4emp/4empemail.htm#a05092012)
Board updates: Farewell to departing members, welcome to new representatives
Our System: A profile of our membership and an update on our funding status
The MTRS defined benefit plan: Good for members, good for the state

Both issues are also available online at mass.gov/mtrs.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact our Employer Services unit at 617-679-6895 or mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us.

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May 9, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: Additional info on two recent pension reform measures

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As we told you via e-mail last December, on November 18, 2011 Governor Deval Patrick signed Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011, “An Act Providing for Pension Reform and Benefit Modernization,” or what is commonly known as “Pension Reform III.” The third pension reform measure passed in the last three years, Chapter 176 changed certain rules affecting current active members, increased benefits for certain retirees and survivors, and significantly changed the benefit structure for new members who enroll in a Massachusetts public retirement system, or who re-enroll after taking a refund, on or after April 2, 2012.  

Now that Chapter 176 is in effect and we have received clarification on how it is to be implemented, I am writing to make you aware of two provisions in particular, as they also affect you. Specifically:

the increase in interest charged to our active members on certain service purchases, and
the increase in the post-retirement earnings limitation for rehired retirees.

1) For our current members whose effective membership dates are before April 2, 2013, the interest charged on certain service purchases will double after April 2, 2013; as a result, the number of requests for service purchase documentation that you receive is expected to increase greatly--and soon  

Section 9 of Chapter 176 doubles the interest rate to be charged on certain service purchases from “buyback interest” (currently, 4.125%) to “actuarial interest” (currently, 8.25%), unless the member applies for the service purchase before April 2, 2013 and either pays for the service purchase in full or commits to an installment plan before April 2, 2013 or the invoice due date, whichever is later.   

Members who leave active public service, take a refund, and later return to membership in a Massachusetts public retirement system will have one year from the date of their return to purchase the service at the lower buyback interest rate.  

As a result of the increase in the interest rate, we anticipate that you will notice a higher than normal volume of requests to complete service purchase forms leading up to the April 2, 2013 deadline. Members will need your assistance to document (and purchase) substitute, temporary and part-time teaching service, as well as other employment with school departments and municipalities. We sincerely appreciate your past and continued efforts to provide the best information possible. Providing us with complete information up front will limit calls and requests for additional documentation from our office. We know how busy you are and we will do our best to limit follow up requests for information whenever possible.  

2) For rehired retirees, the post-retirement earnings limitation increases by $15,000 after one year of retirement  

As you know, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32, section 91, there are limits on the amount of money that a rehired retiree may earn from post-retirement employment by a Massachusetts public entity. This post-retirement earnings limit is equal to the difference between the salary being paid for the member's former position and the amount of his or her retirement benefit.  

Effective April 2, 2012, Chapter 176 increased this limit by $15,000 per calendar year after the member has been retired for 12 months, and allowed members who have been retired for at least 12 months as of April 2, 2012 (the effective date of the law) to earn an additional $15,000 for the remainder of calendar year 2012.  

The Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission has instructed all Massachusetts contributory retirement boards to implement the new limit as follows: Retirees may earn an additional $15,000 per calendar year beginning with their second full calendar year of retirement.

Date of retirement	Date eligible to earn additional $15,000
Before or on 4/1/2011	4/2/2012
4/2/2011 - 12/31/2011	1/1/2013
1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012	1/1/2014
1/1/2013 - 12/31/2013	1/1/2015
1/1/2014 - 12/31/2014	1/1/2016

For additional information, including examples and a link to PERAC’s updated post-retirement earnings calculator, please see “Working after retirement” on our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/2members/22retiree/22work.htm.

For details on both of these provisions, as well as an overview of how Chapter 176 affects all MTRS members, see our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs. If you have any questions, please contact us at mailto:geninfo@trb.state.ma.us or 617-679-6877.

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April 19, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: Deduction reporting progress; future steps and deadlines, if applicable

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

I am writing to bring you up to date on the progress that districts have made since my e-mail to you of February 16, and also to advise districts whose deduction reports are not yet fully reported for all of 2011 of future deadlines and action steps.

1) Deduction reporting progress

Calendar year 2010: I am pleased to note that only 6 districts missed the March 30th deadline for completing their 2010 reports. We will be forwarding their names to the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education for further action.
Calendar year 2011: To date, 46% of school districts are fully reported in MyTRS through September, with most of those being fully reported for all of 2011. Overall, nearly 75% of school districts have either fully reported, or at least imported to “initial” status, all of their 2011 reports. Within the next four months, however, all 2011 reports that are not yet fully reported need to be reconciled and finalized.

Please note that, if your district is fully reported for all of 2011, you do not need to take any additional action, other than continuing your timely reporting. And to all of you who are in this group, thank you—for your efforts, persistence and patience in accomplishing the transition to our web-based reporting system. We truly appreciate all of your assistance and support.

2) If your district is NOT fully reported for all of calendar year 2011, be aware of these future action steps and deadlines

As I noted in February, your prompt submission and finalization of deduction reports is necessary for us both to process retirement benefits for our members on time, and to provide accurate data on our membership for the state’s financial reports, which affect the Commonwealth’s bond rating. Without your 2011 reports, we cannot perform these two important, sensitive and visible fiduciary functions. Accordingly, please note the following related deadlines and action steps.   If your district is NOT fully reported through...

September 2011: For 2012 Retirement application processing, you may be required to submit additional salary and contribution data for your retiring employees. Depending on how current your deduction reports are, you may be required to provide salary and deduction information for all unreported months between May 2010 and the dates of your retiring employees’ last deductions. During the week of April 23, we will begin e-mailing the “Supplemental Part 2” retirement application form and instructions to affected districts so that you may provide us with the necessary data. Failure to provide the information will prevent us from processing your district’s 2012 retirements.
December 2011: For financial reporting purposes, please import all outstanding 2011 reports at least to “initial” status by May 15, 2012. You may recall that, last year, school districts were asked to import all then outstanding 2010 deduction reports to “initial” status in order to comply with the Commonwealth’s financial and demographic reporting requirements. This year, we have been instructed to provide this information to the State’s Actuary by the end of May. Accordingly, it is imperative that your district import all of your outstanding 2011 reports by May 15th in order for us to run our financial reports. Failure to comply with the deadline will delay not only the processing of your employees’ 2012 retirement applications, but also the preparation of the Commonwealth's Actuarial Valuation.

Please make sure your district creates and imports all of your outstanding 2011 deduction reports by May 15th; if you need any assistance from us in meeting this deadline, please let us know as we are here to help. You will then have until August 31, 2012 to reconcile and finalize your 2011 deduction reports.

I want to thank you and your staff in advance for your continued efforts. Together we are making significant progress in reducing the backlog of deduction reports.

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April 18, 2012

Subject: MTRS announces Spring retirement information seminars

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please help us spread the word to your employees--we've scheduled our Spring seminars, and all MTRS members are invited to attend one or both programs:

Your MTRS Benefits (10 dates at locations across the Commonwealth): For members who are interested in learning more about their retirement plan and benefits.
The Next Chapter (Saturday, June 2, Marlborough Best Western): Our popular all-day retirement planning program for members 5 to 15 years from retirement.

Both programs are described in detail below; space is limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required for all of these programs and is available at http://mass.gov/mtrs.  

Please help us publicize these seminars by letting your employees know that we'll be offering these programs in the coming weeks--and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their retirement benefit questions. We have attached a one-page flyer in pdf format, and respectfully ask that you please print and post it, or distribute it to your employees who are members of the MTRS. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, we would greatly appreciate your forwarding either this message or the attachment (or both!) to your MTRS members via e-mail.  

If you have any questions about our upcoming seminars or any other retirement issues, please be sure to contact us at mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us. And thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide in letting our members know about these programs

Sincerely, 
Joan Schloss

==========

Your MTRS Benefits 
For members with effective membership dates prior to April 2, 2012  

Your MTRS Benefits is an optional, free, two-hour (4-6 p.m.) informal program for members who want more information about MTRS retirement benefits--whether you are a two-year member, mid-career educator or soon-to-be retiree. Topics include:

an update on recent pension reform legislation affecting current members,
MTRS benefits and services,
estimating your retirement benefits under the regular and RetirementPlus formulas,
various issues you need to consider in retirement, including health insurance coverage, taxation of your retirement benefit, the rules on working after retirement, Social Security--and more!

Program locations and dates: 
CAMBRIDGE, Tuesday, May 8; MTRS Main Office, Presentation Room 
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Tuesday, May 8; West Springfield High School auditorium 
IPSWICH, Thursday, May 10; Ipswich High School auditorium 
WOBURN, Tuesday, May 15; Woburn High School auditorium 
LEE, Thursday, May 17; Lee Middle and High School auditorium 
WEYMOUTH, Tuesday, May 22; Weymouth High School auditorium 
AUBURN, Thursday, May 24; Auburn High School auditorium 
BARNSTABLE, Thursday, May 24; Barnstable High School, Knight Auditorium 
MANSFIELD, Tuesday, May 29; Mansfield High School auditorium 
CAMBRIDGE, Thursday, May 31; MTRS Main Office, Presentation Room  

To attend, simply register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs!  

==============  

The Next Chapter 
The Next Chapter is our award-winning retirement planning program for members who are 5 to 15 years from retirement, but it is a valuable seminar for any educator working on a retirement plan. We encourage members to bring their spouse or companion.  

This all-day, comprehensive retirement planning program features expert speakers who address many retirement issues, including:

Financial planning
Estate planning
Social Security for the Massachusetts educator
Your MTRS benefits

Registration info:

MARLBOROUGH BEST WESTERN HOTEL, Saturday, June 2, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (doors open at 8:00 a.m.)
Registration fee: $35 per person, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments.
Space is limited, and registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
To attend, register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs by Thursday, May 24.

We are confident you will find The Next Chapter Program to be an informative and enjoyable day, as well as a valuable resource in your personal retirement planning. We hope you will join us! 

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March 27, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: You will need to change your MyTRS password on or after April 5, 2012

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please note that on Thursday, April 5, 2012, we will be implementing our updated MyTRS Password Security Policy. This means:

When you sign on to MyTRS on or after Thursday, April 5, you will need to change your password. At the same time, you will need to select and answer two security questions so that, if you forget your password at any time, you will have the ability to reset it.
Every 180 days thereafter, you will be prompted to change your password.
If your account is inactive for 180 days, it will be locked and you will need to contact your MTRS Employer Services Representative to have it unlocked.

Password guidelines

There is no change to the password construction you are currently employing in MyTRS. As a reminder, your password must be a minimum of 10 characters in length and contain at least:

one uppercase letter,
one numeric character, and
one non-alphanumeric character (e.g., ! @ $ % _ ? ( #).

Password DOs and DON’Ts

DO notify your MTRS Employer Services Representative if you ever suspect that the security of your MyTRS password has been compromised, and change the password(s) in question immediately.
Do NOT:
- Use the same password for different accounts.
- Use business passwords for personal accounts.
- Include dictionary words in any language or a person's first or last name.
- Base a password on personal information.
- Reveal your password over the phone or in an email message.
- Share your password with anyone.
- Write down or store your password anywhere in your office.
- Store your password electronically without proper encryption. If you are unsure if your file is encrypted, please check with your IT Services department.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact: Robert George, Director of Employer Services, at 617-679-6869; Sean Neilon, Assistant Executive Director, at 617-679-6889; or, me, at 617-679-6810.

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February 16, 2012

Subject: MTRS update: Deduction reporting

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

This communication is to report on the progress we are making with the new retirement contribution deduction reporting system and to ask for your continued commitment to finalize the 2011 deduction reports.

Summary

It has been 18 months since the new reporting application was introduced. We want to acknowledge and express our appreciation for the significant effort both of our staffs have had to undertake to learn this new system. Over the last 3 months we have experienced a significant increase in the processing of deduction reports due to:

The continued hard work and dedication of many payroll officers and other staff that support deduction reporting compliance;
Increased efficiencies of the new system for those districts that have become experienced in the new application;
Additional resources added by MTRS and in many cases at the district level.

For those districts that have yet to complete their 2010 reports, a separate letter will be sent to each superintendent asking to prioritize those reports. The deadline for reconciling all 2010 deduction reports is March 30th.

2011—Where We Are

Finalizing deductions reports are necessary for two reasons; to process reliable and timely retirement benefits and to provide accurate data on our membership for the Commonwealth’s financial reports.

As I’m sure many of you realize, the February school vacation marks the beginning of the 2012 retirement season. In order for the MTRS to process retirement benefits we must have current contribution data. Therefore, we are implementing certain strategies to address this situation. School districts will have two choices; either:

Be completely posted through at least September of 2011; or
As an alternative, payroll officers will be required to complete a supplementary form that will provide additional months of salary and retirement contributions as part of employer’s portion of the member's retirement application.

Further details regarding this process will be communicated over the next few weeks.

In addition to processing retirement applications, the MTRS is required to comply with several statutory financial reporting requirements that impact the Commonwealth’s bond rating. You may recall that last July we asked districts to import all the 2010 deduction reports to “initial” status by the end of August. This enabled us to provide updated demographic and financial data to the state’s actuary for the 2010 actuarial report. This actuarial report was included with other Commonwealth financial reports to the bond rating agencies that ultimately led to an increase in the Commonwealth’s bond rating. The actuarial report is run annually and we have been instructed to provide this data no later than May 31st.

Next Steps—Where We Need to Be

In order to comply with the reporting requirements, school districts must import all their 2011 deduction reports to “initial” status by May 15, 2012. Finally, we have established September 30th as the deadline to finalize all 2011 deduction reports.

I believe with your assistance and the mutual cooperation of your staff and mine, we can meet these goals. I want to thank you and your staff in advance for your continued assistance, support and patience. I remain encouraged by the progress that most districts have made and continue to make with the new application. Please know that we are here to assist in any way.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our: Director of Employer Services Robert George at 617-679-6869; Assistant Executive Director Sean Neilon at 617-679-6889 or me at 617-679-6810.

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December 16, 2011

Subject: MTRS Board news: Karen Mitchell and Dennis Naughton elected; longtime member John Dow retires

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As you may know, we recently conducted an election for the two elected seats on our seven-member Board. As reported to our Board this morning, our members have elected Karen Mitchell, an active teacher in the Plymouth Public Schools who returns for a second term, and Dennis Naughton, a retired teacher from the Millis Public Schools. Thank you to all of our candidates, and to all of our members who participated in this important election.  

Mr. Naughton replaces John A.M. “Jay” Dow, who, after 40 years of dedicated service, decided not to seek re-election. One of the longest-serving Board members, Mr. Dow began his teaching career in the Boston public schools, taught in Ipswich for a few years and then transferred to Marblehead, where he remained for 35 years before retiring in 1989. In the early 1970s, he was also president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, where he learned the importance of the pension system and a strong retirement board. We are extremely grateful for Mr. Dow’s service to the educators of Massachusetts and the Board, and we wish him the best in retirement.  

For more information on the Board election, please visit our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs or contact us at 617-679-6877.

December 8, 2011

Subject: MTRS updates: Pension reform, revised Retirement Application, the Open Checkbook initiative

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please take note of the following three updates regarding recent pension reform legislation, our revised Retirement Application, and the Commonwealth’s Open Checkbook project.

1) Governor Patrick signs pension reform bill; MTRS implementation plan now in development

As you probably know, on November 18, 2011 Governor Deval Patrick signed Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011, “An Act Providing for Pension Reform and Benefit Modernization.” This is the third pension reform measure passed in the last three years, and it significantly changes the benefit structure for new members who enroll in a Massachusetts public retirement system, or re-enroll after taking a refund, on or after April 2, 2012. The law also increases benefits for certain retired members and survivors, and changes certain rules affecting current active members of the MTRS. For an overview of this legislation, see our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/1news/1legis.htm.

At this time, we are working to develop the necessary policies and procedures to implement these changes as quickly and smoothly as possible. Please bear with us as we work out the details and update our member and employer materials. Be assured that, in the coming months, we will be sending additional updates describing how these changes affect you and our members.

2) Open Checkbook launches; state expenditures, including certain pension info, posted online

For your reference, on December 5, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts launched Open Checkbook, a website that provides a searchable database of all state expenditures for fiscal years 2010, 2011 and 2012. Because the MTRS is a state agency, our retirees' names and pension amount information are posted on Open Checkbook.

Open Checkbook was created as part of an effort to increase overall fiduciary transparency. The initiative was mandated by the 2011 state budget and is cited in M.G.L. Chapter 7, Sec. 14C (online at http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter7/Section14C).

3) New version of Retirement Application released—now in “savable” pdf format

In advance of the upcoming retirement season, we have reviewed and revised our Retirement Application—both Part 1, which is completed by the member, and Part 2, which is completed by employers. Please note, however, the basic process remains the same: members are still to complete Part 1 and provide you with a printed copy of Part 2; you are still to complete Part 2 and return it to the member for sending to us.

For more information, and a link to the updated Part 2, please visit our website page about the Retirement Application at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/4emp/4empret.htm .

For more information on all of these topics, please visit our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs or contact us at 617-679-6877.

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November 15, 2011

Subject: MTRS update: Member Enrollment Form now available in downloadable format

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As we have not yet been able to resolve the technical difficulties we have been experiencing with our online member enrollment tool, we have substituted a simple, downloadable, two-page MTRS Enrollment Form in its place, at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/enrolltemp.htm.

Accordingly, at this time, regarding: 

Your new, already-registered employees, who have not been able to enroll because our online tool has been unavailable: As possible, please advise these employees to go to our website and download, complete and mail the MTRS Enrollment Form directly to the MTRS.
Your new, not-yet-registered employees: Please continue to register your new employees in MyTRS as you have been doing, and provide them with the Online Enrollment Assignment sheet that directs them to the "Enroll in the MTRS" page on our website. Once there, instead of completing their portion of the enrollment process online, they will need to download, complete and mail the MTRS Enrollment Form directly to the MTRS.

We will process the returned forms and update your employees' enrollment status in MyTRS, which is visible to you in your view of your members' records. Members who complete and submit the MTRS Enrollment Form will satisfy our enrollment requirement, and will not be asked to complete the online enrollment process at a later date.

We are sorry that our online enrollment tool has been unavailable for these past two months. We continue to investigate the programming problems involved, and sincerely apologize for this inconvenience to our members and you, our school district representatives.

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November 10, 2011

Subject: MTRS announces programs for members retiring within the next year!

Dear Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please take note of these four announcements regarding our Board election, Board member changes, and ongoing “Ready for Retirement” programs, and as always, if you or your employees have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Board election now underway—
Please advise your employees who are MTRS members to watch for a ballot at their home address, and, if they do not receive it by November 21, to contact us

As I mentioned in my memo to you of August 29, 2011, we are now conducting an election for the two members of the Board who are elected by the active and retired members of our system. This election is held once every four years.

If any of your employees believe that they are eligible to vote but didn’t get a ballot, please ask them to call our Cambridge Call Center, at 617-679-6890, and request a ballot. We will then determine that person’s eligibility and, if appropriate, send a ballot directly to him or her. [Note: A member is eligible to vote if he or she is an active or retired member of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System. Accordingly, temporary, part-time and substitute teachers who have not yet completed their six-month waiting period are not eligible to vote. If an employee is on a leave of absence, is on sick leave or is receiving Workers’ Compensation, however, he or she is eligible to vote.]

Governor names new appointee to the Board: 
Meet Anne Wass

At its October meeting, the Board welcomed new member Anne Wass, who was recently selected by Gov. Deval Patrick to serve as his appointee. Ms. Wass replaces Ellen T. Hargraves, who held this seat for 11 years.

Ms. Wass, who retired in 2007 after 31 years of teaching sixth grade at Hanover Middle School, has held many leadership positions with the Massachusetts Teachers Association at both the local and state levels. She served on the MTA's Board of Directors and state Executive Committee, and was president of the MTA from 2006 until 2010. Along the way, she won numerous awards for her teaching service, including the Bristol County Educators' Association Kathleen Roberts Human Relations Award and the Plymouth County Education Association's Honor Award.

For additional information, please see About the Board and its members at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/4about/4board.htm.

Linda M. Ruberto to leave Board at end of January;  
Board now accepting applications for Board-appointee position

Our seven-member board includes one member who is chosen by the vote of the other six. After 20 years of dedicated service to our members, Linda M. Ruberto, the current appointee, recently announced that she will be leaving the Board at the end of her term in January 2012. In anticipation of Ms. Ruberto’s departure, the Board is now inviting applications for this position.

Anyone who is interested in applying for this position should review our web page, Board-appointee position: Description and application process at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/4about/4bdmemapp.htm, for additional information and instructions. All applications must be postmarked no later than December 12, 2011. The Board will review all applications and invite finalists for an interview at the end of January. 

Reminder: Please encourage your MTRS members who are retiring within the next year to attend our “Ready for Retirement” programs—going on now!

While our two Cambridge presentations are already full, seats are still available at our other programs. As possible, please remind your soon-to-be-retiring employees that we’re offering this program—and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their questions about retirement benefits. Online registration is required, and is available at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/3register/r4r.htm .

For more information on all of these topics, visit our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs or contact us at 617-679-6877.

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October 26, 2011

Subject: MTRS announces programs for members retiring within the next year!

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please help us spread the word to your employees who are planning to retire within the next year—we’ve scheduled our “Ready for Retirement” seminars!

The MTRS staff will again be presenting this popular program across the Commonwealth in November and December. Space is limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online preregistration is required for this program and our simple online registration form is accessible via a link from our homepage at http://mass.gov/mtrs.

Thank you for your continued assistance to our members and us—we truly appreciate your efforts!

With best wishes,
 Joan Schloss

==========
READY FOR RETIREMENT 
For members retiring in 2012  

The MTRS staff will be presenting our popular seminar, “Ready for Retirement,” across the Commonwealth in November and December. “Ready for Retirement” is a free, optional, two-hour program (4-6 p.m.) designed for members retiring in 2012. We’re reaching out to soon-to-be retirees before the retirement season starts so that when you begin the application process, you will know just what you need to do and when.  

Topics include: 

the retirement application process and the benefit calculation formula, 
timelines and service expectations, 
first payment information, 
health insurance, tax and working after retirement issues, 
cost-of-living adjustments after you retire, and 
recent changes to Massachusetts pension law and what they mean for you.

Please note: Personalized account information and pension estimates are not offered during these sessions.  

To attend, simply choose the date and location that is best for you, and then register online at least 7 DAYS before your desired program date. Our simple online registration form is located at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/3register/r4r.htm. We hope to see you soon!   

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Wednesday, November 9, West Springfield High School auditorium 
WOBURN, Wednesday, November 9, Woburn High School auditorium
 LEE, Tuesday, November 15, Lee Middle and High School auditorium 
CAMBRIDGE, Thursday, November 17, MTRS Cambridge office 
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Tuesday, November 22, Middleborough High School auditorium 
AUBURN, Tuesday, November 29, Auburn High School auditorium 
WEYMOUTH, Tuesday, November 29, Weymouth High School auditorium 
HYANNIS, Thursday, December 1, Barnstable High School Knight auditorium 
IPSWICH, Tuesday, December 6, Ipswich High School auditorium
CAMBRIDGE, Thursday, December 8, MTRS Cambridge office

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October 4, 2011

Subject: MTRS Enrollment form update

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Unfortunately, we have not been successful in fixing the “member” portion of our online enrollment form. We expect the form to be down for another 2-4 weeks. Once the form is restored we will send you a follow-up e-mail.

Please be assured that this issue has no effect on your district’s ability to register your employees, take deductions from their pay or include those members on your monthly deduction reports. While the member enrollment form is inoperable, school district personnel can access member contribution rates in MyTRS using the View/Update Member Information link on the MyTRS homepage.

As always, if you or your staff have any questions or need assistance, please contact your assigned Employer Services Representative or our Employer Services unit at 617-679-6895 or mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us. We apologize for this inconvenience, and thank you for your patience!

September 1, 2011

Subject: MTRS Enrollment form

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

I am writing to inform you that we have disabled the “member” portion of our online enrollment form to repair it. We expect the form to be down for at least two weeks. Once the form is restored we will send you a follow-up e-mail.

As always, if you or your staff have any questions or need assistance, please contact your assigned Employer Services Representative or our Employer Services unit at 617-679-6895 or mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and attention to these important deduction reporting issues. We appreciate your continued assistance to us and our members!

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August 29, 2011

Subject: MTRS update: Notice of MTRS Board election

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

As you may know, the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement Board is comprised of seven members, two of whom are elected by the members of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System for four-year terms. Since the terms of our incumbent elected members expire later this year, the Board has scheduled an election for this fall. Active and retired MTRS members are eligible to run for these unpaid positions, and interested members may obtain nomination papers from our Cambridge office beginning September 12. Ballots will be mailed to the home addresses of eligible voters in early November, and votes must be cast by December 12.

At this time, we respectfully ask that you post the attached notice announcing our upcoming Board election in an appropriate location in your building at your earliest convenience. Also, it would be helpful if you would call attention to this notice during any upcoming staff meetings or include a note about it in any e-mail or printed announcements that you may circulate to your faculty members. As you will see, the poster provides important information, including the election schedule and deadlines that are critical to any member seeking to be elected to the Board.

If you have any questions about the election, please contact Susan Theil, Director of Communications, at 617-679-6844 or susan.theil@trb.state.ma.us. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance!

May 3, 2011

Subject: MTRS notice: Six additional MyTRS training sessions scheduled; 14 updated guides now online

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Personnel Administrators, Payroll Officers, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors:

Please note these two timely announcements regarding MyTRS:

Six additional MyTRS training sessions have just been scheduled: In response to popular demand, we will be offering six additional MyTRS training sessions, including two on Wednesday mornings to accommodate employer representatives who were unable to attend Friday morning programs. The new dates, locations and registration details are below, and also online at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/3register/3mytrspro.htm. If you have not attended one of our training sessions yet this spring, we hope that you will be able to join us in the coming weeks!
New and updated Guided Practices and Resource Guides are now available online: In an effort to provide simple, step-by-step instructions for performing the most frequently used functions, we have revised our online user guides and posted them in downloadable pdf format on our website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/4emp/4guideprac.htm. For quick at-a-glance information on the basic processes, please consult these brief, specific guides—they are designed to walk you through each process simply and quickly!

If you have any questions at any time, please contact our Employer Services unit at mailto:empsup@trb.state.ma.us or 617-679-6895. Thank you for your continued assistance to our members and us!

Sincerely, 
MTRS Employer Services

==========
MyTRS Employer Training: Spring 2011

Training session overview To be presented by MTRS Employer Services representatives in our Cambridge and Springfield office training rooms, this year's program is a shorter, revised version of last summer's all-day training seminars. In each morning program, we will cover the basic functions and "how-to"s of MyTRS: it will be a refresher for anyone who attended last year's seminars, and a solid, to-the-point overview for new representatives and for those who were unable to attend the 2010 programs.

You will learn how to:

Get started (log in, navigate, view and update records)
Register new employees
Submit your deduction payment electronically
Report your employees' retirement deductions
Access the updated Guided Practices and Resource Guides

Who should attend 
You should be sure to attend if you are involved in submitting monthly deduction reports and payments, or registering new employees in the MTRS, and you:

did not attend one of the original MyTRS training seminars last summer,
have had difficulty using MyTRS or submitting your deduction reports,
have specific questions that you'd like to ask one of our Employer Services representatives in person, or
simply want to receive a refresher on how to use the system.

Locations, dates and times 
All programs will be held on either a Wednesday or Friday morning, in our Cambridge or Springfield office, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the doors opening at 8:30 a.m.

Cambridge: Wednesdays, May 4 and 11; Fridays, May 20 and 27, and June 3
Springfield: Friday, June 10

Please note that space is limited to 40 attendees per session in Cambridge, 30 attendees per session in Springfield; registration will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If necessary, we will offer additional programs to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend. Want to attend but can't make these dates? Use the online registration process to sign up to receive advance notice of future MyTRS trainings.

To register for a program or advance notice of future MyTRS trainings, simply go to http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/3register/3mytrspro.htm and follow the easy instructions.

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April 25, 2011

Subject: Notice: MTRS Furlough Policy expires on June 30, 2011

Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers and Personnel Officers:

As you may recall, on April 30, 2010, the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement Board adopted its "Policy on Furloughs and other Fiscal Emergency Measures for School Years 2009-10 and 2010-11." We are writing to remind you that the Board's furlough policy expires on June 30, 2011.

Beginning on July 1, 2011, the TRS will apply G.L. c. 32, §§ 4(1)(c) and 5(3)(b), as set forth below.

Chapter 32, § 4(1)(c) allows the MTRS to recognize creditable service for any "period of … continuous absence without regular compensation" up to one month.

Chapter 32, § 5(3)(b) provides that any "leave or period of absence" occurring within the three-year period used for the member's final average salary will be included in that period and, if unpaid, the "rate in effect for him immediately preceding any period of his absence" shall be used.

These two provisions allow members to have temporary (up to one month) unpaid leaves of absence from work without affecting their retirement calculation. The same two sections allow for service credit and imputed salary for members who are absent from work due to furloughs. This assumes the "furlough" is a temporary (less than one month) period of unpaid leave of absence from required work days. These two sections cannot be used if there is no absence, thus they are not helpful if a district implements a salary reduction or a reduction of the contractual work year.

Service credit for a furlough: In order for a MTRS member not to lose creditable service for a "furlough," the member must be placed on an authorized unpaid leave during the period of the furlough, not to exceed one month.
The member's last salary rate applies during the furlough: If a furlough day is a period of authorized unpaid leave, the MTRS will use the salary rate in effect immediately preceding the furlough when determining the salary average for any member who has a furlough within his highest three or last three years.
Please note: "Furloughs" that do not meet the statutory requirements include plans that reduce the number of work days by implementing "volunteer" days during which teachers work but do not get paid or when a district reduces the school year itself. These types of plans will negatively impact a MTRS member's creditable service and salary average.

If you would like an opinion as to whether your district's particular cost-saving measure will impact the retirement calculation of your MTRS members, please mail, e-mail, or fax us a copy of the relevant contract language to the attention of Erika Glaster, Deputy Executive Director, MTRS, One Charles Park, Cambridge, MA 02142-1206, e-mail: mailto:erika.glaster@trb.state.ma.us, fax: 617-679-1661.

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April 11, 2011

Subject: MTRS announces Spring retirement information seminars

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors,

Please help us spread the word to your employees—we've scheduled our Spring seminars, and all MTRS members are invited to attend one or both programs:

Your MTRS Benefits: for all members interested in learning more about their retirement plan and benefits, and
The Next Chapter: our popular all-day retirement planning program for members 5 to 15 years from retirement.

Please help us publicize these seminars by letting your employees know that we'll be offering these programs in the coming weeks—and that this is a prime opportunity for them to get answers to their retirement benefit questions. We have attached a one-page flyer in pdf format, and respectfully ask that you please print and post it, or distribute it to your employees who are members of the MTRS. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, we would greatly appreciate your forwarding either this message or the attachment (or both!) to your MTRS members via e-mail.

Sincerely, 
Joan Schloss

YOUR MTRS BENEFITS 
Your MTRS Benefits is an optional, free, two-hour (4-6 p.m.) informal program for any member who wants more information about MTRS retirement benefits—whether you are a new member, mid-career educator or soon-to-be retiree. Topics include:

recent—and potential—pension reforms,
MTRS benefits and services,
estimating your retirement benefits under the regular and RetirementPlus formulas,
various issues you need to consider in retirement, including health insurance coverage, taxation of your retirement benefit, the rules on working after retirement, Social Security—and more!

Program locations and dates: 
AUBURN, Tuesday, May 3; Auburn High School auditorium 
BARNSTABLE, Tuesday, May 3; Barnstable High School, Knight Auditorium 
RAYNHAM, Thursday, May 5; Raynham Middle School auditorium
 IPSWICH, Wednesday, May 11; Ipswich High School auditorium 
SPRINGFIELD, Wednesday, May 11; Van Sickle Middle School auditorium 
CAMBRIDGE, Thursday, May 12; MTRS Main Office, Presentation Room 
PITTSFIELD, Thursday, May 12; Taconic High School auditorium 
WOBURN, Thursday, May 19; Woburn High School auditorium 
WEYMOUTH, Wednesday, May 25; Weymouth High School auditorium 
CAMBRIDGE, Thursday, May 26; MTRS Main Office, Presentation Room

To attend, simply register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs!

==============

THE NEXT CHAPTER 
The Next Chapter is our award-winning retirement planning program for members who are 5 to 15 years from retirement, but it is a valuable seminar for any educator working on a retirement plan. We encourage members to bring their spouse or companion.

This all-day, comprehensive retirement planning program features expert speakers who address many retirement issues, including:

Financial planning
Estate planning
Social Security and Medicare for the Massachusetts educator
Your MTRS benefits

Registration info:

MARLBOROUGH BEST WESTERN HOTEL, Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Registration fee: $35 per person, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments.
Space is limited, and registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
To attend, register online at http://mass.gov/mtrs by Tuesday, May 10.

We are confident you will find The Next Chapter Program to be an informative and enjoyable day, as well as a valuable resource in your personal retirement planning. We hope you will join us!

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February 28, 2011

Subject: MTRS notice: MyTRS training sessions now scheduled—please register online to attend

Dear School District Superintendents, Business Managers, Personnel Administrators, Payroll Officers, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors:

In response to your requests for additional training on MyTRS, our online deduction reporting application released last summer, we will be providing Friday morning training sessions this spring, starting Friday, March 11.

Overview 
To be presented by MTRS Employer Services representatives in our Cambridge and Springfield office training rooms, this year’s program is a shorter, revised version of last summer’s all-day training seminars. In each Friday morning program, we will cover the basic functions and “how-to”s of MyTRS: it will be a refresher for anyone who attended last year’s seminars, and a solid, to-the-point overview for new representatives and for those who were unable to attend the 2010 programs.

You will learn how to:

Get started (log in, navigate, view and update records)
Register new employees
Submit your deduction payment electronically
Report your employees' retirement deductions
Access the updated Guided Practices and Resource Guides

Who should attend 
You should be sure to attend if you are involved in submitting monthly deduction reports and payments, or registering new employees in the MTRS, and you:

did not attend one of the original MyTRS training seminars last summer,
have had difficulty using MyTRS or submitting your deduction reports,
have specific questions that you'd like to ask one of our Employer Services representatives in person, or
simply want to receive a refresher on how to use the system.

Locations, dates and times 
All programs will be held on a Friday morning, in either our Cambridge or Springfield office, from 9 a.m. to noon, with the doors opening at 8:30 a.m.

Cambridge: March 11, March 18, April 1, April 22, April 29, May 6
Springfield: March 25, April 15

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