Montgomery, AL – The number of teachers who will retire Dec. 1 to avoid paying higher health insurance costs is about half of what some education groups had forecast.
The Alabama Education Association and others had predicted 1,000 or more teachers would leave their classrooms at midyear to save money, but final numbers compiled by the state pension system show its 466. That's out of total of 1,182 K-12 employees who are retiring.
Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said mass retirements were forecast when the Legislature changed health insurance benefits for retirees, but that didn't happen.
After Dec. 1, education employees will have to pay more for health insurance if they retire without 25 years of service or if they retire with 25 years of service but aren't yet 65 years old.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)