In a move to cut cost, the district has offered a Retirement incentive to more than 200 higher paid teachers. It has also laid off 37 with lower seniority.

Thirty-seven teachers were pink slipped April 25. At the same time, some 200 senior teachers were offered an incentive to retire. Depending on how many teachers accept the retirement offer of as much as $450 per month for 10 years, some of the laid off teachers will likely be called back as replacement by June. The districts expects 25 to 50 kindergarten-through-12^th grade teachers who are at or near the top of the pay scale to take advantage of the offer this year or next.

The district’s objective is to reduce the number of staff earning the highest salaries of $56.868 or more. Teachers with one-to-three years’ experience could be hired at an average salary of about $33,000. The incentive plan could save the district more than $5 million in five years.

Ferndale School District faces a budget deficit, and staff is in the process of recommending ways to balance the budget. The Voluntary Incentive Plan is only one solution to these economic problems. The VIP was developed by administration, the Ferndale Education Association, Board of Education, and Educators Preferred Corporation (EPC), a Consulting firm specializing in such plans.EPC has implemented more than 80 such plans in Michigan districts and colleges. The firm’s costs are more than offset by the savings to the district. All administrative aspects of the plan are handled by EPC.