Effective 28 Aug 1953

169.021. Transfer of teachers from urban district to state retirement system — procedure. — 1. Whenever two-thirds of the teachers of a school district having a population of more than seventy-five thousand and which has, pursuant to law, a local retirement system, shall file a petition with the board of trustees of the local retirement system and with the local board of education of such school district requesting that their membership in the local retirement system be transferred to the public school retirement system of Missouri, said petition if and when approved by the board of trustees of the local retirement system and the board of education of the local school district shall be transmitted to the board of trustees of the state retirement system. Thereupon at such time as all the terms and conditions of this section as apply to teachers, as hereinafter set forth, are fulfilled the board of trustees of the state retirement system shall in mutual agreement with the board of trustees of the local retirement system and the local board of education set a date which shall be not later than one year after the filing of the petition with the state system, upon which the local system shall be declared discontinued as to such teachers and all persons who are or may become teachers, as hereinbefore defined, in such local district shall be members of the state retirement system.

2. Prior to the date when the local system is discontinued as to teachers under the provision of this section, the board of trustees of the local retirement system shall transfer to the board of trustees of the public school retirement system of Missouri such moneys, bonds and evidences of indebtedness as represent the accumulated contributions of each teacher member of the local retirement system, but not in excess of the amount of the accumulated contributions of a teacher already a member of the state system with the same period of membership service and same annual salaries during such period, along with an equal amount representing contributions by the local board of education on account of such teachers; and these funds are to be credited by the board of trustees as have other contributions received by the public school retirement system of Missouri. If the accumulated contributions of any teacher member in the local retirement system are in excess of these requirements, such excess shall be refunded to the teacher by the local system.

3. There shall be further transferred to the state retirement system by the board of trustees of such local retirement system, if available from its funds, and if not by the board of education of the local school district from school district funds, an amount of money sufficient to place those teachers who so elect, on an equality of benefits with those originally becoming members of such state system, providing that any contributions from teachers transferred from such local retirement system due the state retirement system to equalize contributions previously made by teachers already members of the state system shall be paid to the board of trustees of the state system by the local school district and charged to such teacher's salary account and withheld by the local district in equal monthly installments during the succeeding school year. A like amount shall be transferred to the board of trustees of the state system by the board of trustees of such local retirement system, if available from its funds, and if not by the board of education of the local school district from school district funds. If the full amount as required by this subsection for any member is not paid to the board of trustees of the state system, such member shall receive no credit for prior service and shall receive credit only for such membership service as the amount paid in his behalf will provide.

4. All teachers who have been placed on retirement pursuant to the provisions of the law creating the local system previous to the date when the local system is discontinued as to teachers under the provisions of this section shall be entitled to receive from the state system after the discontinuance of the local system the same monthly benefits they were receiving from the local system; provided that prior to the date of discontinuance of the local system, the board of trustees of the local system shall pay to the extent of its available funds, and if such funds are insufficient, the board of education of the local district shall pay from school district funds to the board of trustees of the state system the amount necessary to maintain such monthly payments to retired teachers plus such amount as required to pay the benefits provided by the state system to all teachers of the local system who have attained age sixty-nine as of date of discontinuance but have not then retired, such amounts to be agreed to by the board of trustees of the two retirement systems and the board of education of the local school district; provided, however, that in school districts having a population of not less than two hundred thousand inhabitants, in lieu of the amount required to be paid because of the teachers of the local system who have attained age sixty-nine but have not retired an additional payment shall be made of the amount necessary to prevent an increase in the required contribution rate as provided for in section 169.030 as determined by the actuary of the public school retirement system of Missouri and as agreed to by the board of trustees of the two retirement systems and the board of education of the local school district.

5. Any amount to be paid the board of trustees of the state system by the board of education of the local school district in fulfillment of the conditions of this section may be paid in a lump sum or in installments within ten years from date of discontinuance of the local system with interest payable annually on the unpaid balance at the rate of two percent; provided, however, that in school districts having a population of not less than two hundred thousand, the period within which payment in installments may be made may be increased from ten to twenty-five years; provided, further, that in districts having a population of not less than two hundred thousand inhabitants the rate to be paid on unpaid balance shall be the average rate which the investments of the state system earn during the same year.

6. All employees in such school district having a population of more than seventy-five thousand and less than one hundred thousand, other than teachers and who are not on retirement, shall, upon two-thirds vote, withdraw therefrom and shall receive from the local retirement system the amount credited to their respective accounts, and equal amounts from funds contributed by the local school district; and each employee, other than a teacher, who is on retirement pursuant to provisions of the law creating the local retirement system, shall receive in lieu of all his rights and interest in such local retirement system an amount of money mutually agreed to by the local board of education and the annuitant. The effective date of dissolution of the local system under this subsection shall be fixed by the local board of education and the local retirement system.

7. All employees in school districts having a population of not less than two hundred thousand inhabitants other than certificated teachers and who are not on retirement shall continue to be members of the existing local retirement system subject to the right of withdrawal therefrom at any time, regardless of whether or not he continues to be an employee, with right to be paid on demand the amount of his accumulated contributions with interest standing to the credit of his individual account in the employees' contribution fund but without any right to again become a member of the system; and each employee of such school district other than certificated teachers who is on retirement pursuant to provisions of the law under which the local retirement system exists shall continue to be entitled to receive his retirement benefits in accordance with the terms and provisions of said system, and such local retirement system shall continue in force and effect with respect to such employees who are not certificated teachers until such time as all shall have withdrawn and all obligations to such retirants shall have been discharged or released; provided that any employee other than certificated teachers becoming such an employee after the effective date of the transfer of the certificated teachers to the state retirement system shall have the option of refraining from becoming a member of the local system; provided further if in any case where a certificated teacher, now a member of the local retirement system, is transferred to the state system his actual or potential retirement benefits would be less than the amounts he would have received from the local system if he had continued therein, the local retirement system or board of education shall make up the difference.

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(L. 1951 p. 520, A.L. 1953 p. 467)