Shorewood officials want more information before acting on retirement benefits

Shorewood - The Shorewood School Board voted, 4-1, to table a request that would have had its ad hoc finance committee modeling changes to its post employment benefits package.

Board member Michael Mishlove voted against the motion to table, saying that any consideration or modeling of changes should come after the board has a principled discussion on the matter.

"I think the modeling is secondary to the question of what it is that we offer," Mishlove said. "What employment benefits is this district going to offer to its employees? That's not a financial modeling question."

"That's a principled issue," board member David Cobb said.

The request would have had the ad hoc committee - composed of board members, district staff and community members - to address three questions: What should post employment benefits be for new hires and when do they qualify based on service; for employees hired before this school year, who will continue under previously negotiated post employment benefits; and, for those employees, what will the years of service requirements be for benefits and what should those benefits include?

Board President Rob Reinhoffer said they should go ahead with the modeling to have an idea of the impact any changes would have to the district's post employment benefit liability, noting that the modeling would only serve an advisory purpose.

Board member Ruth Treisman said the modeling could serve as a baseline of information, subject to change.

"If we don't like it, we may change our basic principles (to change the models)," Treisman said.

Social studies teacher Debra Schwinn told the board that it shouldn't make any changes to or studies of the post employment benefit until the review of Act 10 initiated by Dane County Judge Juan Colas is finished.

"I would suggest that, until Act 10 and the constitutionality of that is settled, that you might want to not be jumping on anything on this," Schwinn said, "until we know exactly where we stand."

With the request tabled, the issue will come back to the board at a later date after more consideration.