Monrovia Unified adopts retirement incentive, amends eligibility and caps participants at 20

The Monrovia Unified School District Board of Education adopted a supplemental employee retirement plan (SERP) aimed at encouraging eligible certificated employees to separate from district service by June 30, 2026, while building in safeguards to limit fiscal exposure and preserve institutional knowledge.

What the board approved: the resolution creates a separation incentive for qualifying certificated staff and authorizes the district to offer counseling and actuarial review through Keenan (the consultant administering the program). Trustees amended the draft resolution to clarify eligibility language and to set a maximum number of participants.

Key board changes: trustees agreed to change the eligibility wording to permit "aggregate" qualifying service rather than the draft's language that could be read as "consecutive" service. The board also set an operational cap of no more than 20 participants. District counsel and staff said Keenan had projected roughly 14 likely acceptances for the district's eligible pool, but trustees requested periodic fiscal check-ins if interest approaches the cap.

Board concerns and staff responses: President Maritza Trivanti and other trustees voiced concern about a potential "brain drain" if too many experienced certificated staff separate at once. Dr. Landesfein (human resources) and the consultant explained the program includes mandatory individual counseling sessions and a firm fiscal analysis before any final commitments are made. "Just because you sign up doesn't mean that it's going to fly," the consultant told the board, meaning offers remain contingent on fiscal feasibility and final board approval of funded slots.

Implementation details: staff will host an informational meeting (group session) followed by individual counseling sessions with Keenan beginning in January; employees who are identified as eligible will receive direct follow-up. The district will provide weekly updates to the board on interest and will return a fiscal analysis showing the district's liability exposure at several participation levels. Trustees asked staff to prepare financial scenarios showing the impact of 10, 14, 20 and 25 participants so the board can see the trade-offs before final payouts occur.

Outcome: the board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution as amended, with the clarified eligibility language and a cap of 20 participants. Staff will notify the certificated workforce of the program and schedule meetings and counseling sessions.

Why it matters: a SERP can reduce payroll costs over time by encouraging voluntary separations, but it also creates an up-front liability and the risk of losing institutional knowledge. The board sought a balance: offering a temporary incentive while limiting fiscal and operational risk through a cap and staged implementation.

Next steps: staff will provide the board the expected fiscal exposure for the chosen cap and update the board weekly on the number of employees who attend informational sessions and complete counseling. Individual employee decisions remain voluntary and subject to counseling and final fiscal review.

Ending: Trustees stressed that the program is an option for eligible employees, not a mandate; staff will maintain transparency with periodic briefings to the board.