The purpose of regulation 807 CMR 14.00 is to bring certainty and definiteness to the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(1)(h ½) and to clarify and set forth procedures for the purchase of creditable service for prior vocational work experience.
Only members who are or were employed in a c. 74 approved vocational-technical program, as determined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in a position requiring vocational-technical certification, are eligible to purchase service.
The Board will rely on records of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in determining whether a member seeking to purchase creditable service as a licensed vocational-technical teacher has qualifying prior vocational service and, if so, how much. The years to be purchased will be the period (up to three years) reflected in Department of Elementary and Secondary Education records as the service qualifying the member for vocational certification, the most recent eligible years to be purchased first. Prior trade service that is not reflected in Department of Elementary and Secondary Education records cannot be verified and cannot be purchased.
Consistent with M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(1)(a), a member cannot purchase creditable service for periods that have been purchased under another service purchase provision or have been credited as membership service with a contributory retirement board.
“Buyback interest” will be charged back to the years of service being purchased. The terms of installment agreements, including the term and interest rate, will be in accordance with the Board’s usual practices and policies.
In the event that a member worked part-time during his or her most recent date of entry into membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System or as a teacher in the State-Boston Retirement System, the salary to be used in determining the amount of the makeup payments shall be the actual salary received by the member during that year, i.e. the part-time salary.
REGULATORY AUTHORITY: 807 CMR 14.00: M.G.L. c. 15, § 16, c. 32, §§ 4(1)(h 1/2) and 20(5)(b).