• Leaving PXU? Resignation/Retirement Info

    Thank you for your service to the Phoenix Union High School District. The information provided on this page will assist you in navigating the process of resigning from the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) and retiring from the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) if applicable. Please remember, these are two separate processes. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact Cyndy Nelke, Employee Benefits Specialist, @ (602) 764-1538 or nelke@phoenixunion.org.  
     
    Don't forget, per the Professional Agreements, employees who plan to retire/resign from their employment with the District at the end of a contract year are expected to notify the District by March 15th. This timeline is necessary to provide the PXU with ample time to hire a replacement. 
     
    Early Notification of Retirement Incentive
     
    Employees who notify the Talent Division by January 26, 2024, of their retirement (ASRS) at the end of their 2023-2024 contract will receive a $750 incentive. To qualify, employees must meet their contract obligations for the 2023-2024 school year. For full details, please refer to the November 7, 2023 PXU Talent email.
  • Note: This webpage is for informational purposes only. Current Board Policy and/or Employee Handbook Language will supersede the information included on this webpage if discrepancies exist. 
     
     
    PXU Resignation/Retirement Process
     
    1. If you are planning to retire, contact the ASRS to arrange for your retirement and insurance if applicable. Please refer to the ASRS section of this page.
    2. Submit your letter of resignation to your school principal/supervisor by March 15th or as soon as you make your decision to resign/retire from the PXU.
    3. Please note: If you are a Certificated Employee and you "break" your employment contract, you may be subject to a monetary penalty.  Please refer to the Certificated Professional Agreement for the specific language or review the Voluntary Separation/Release From Contract excerpt herein.
    4. Finalize your post-employment insurance.  All insurance via the PXU will terminate on the last day of the month in which your contract ends or on the last day of the month in which you retire/resign from the District whichever is earlier with the exception of Flex.  Flex accounts will be terminated to align with your resignation/termination date.  You will have 4 options for your insurance when you leave the District: 
      • Group Insurance via another employer.
      • Private Insurance via the Healthcare Marketplace.
      • COBRA: Please refer to the COBRA Information Sheet for more information and the 2023-2024 COBRA Premiums table for premiums eff. 7/1/2023.  Note: if you are retiring at the end of the school year and wish to participate in the District's Open Enrollment to make changes to your COBRA benefits eff. 7/1, please contact Cyndy Nelke for the applicable forms.
      • Subsidized Insurance via the ASRS: Please refer to the ASRS website for information on their coverage.
    5. Make arrangements with Security Benefit if your projected leave payoff will be more than $5000.  Please refer to the Special Pay Plan section of this page.  
    6. Make arrangements with your campus/site to return all District equipment & keys.  
    7. Turn in your PXU Early Retirement Program (ERP) Options form and Attestation to Cyndy Nelke @ CES - 5th Floor if applicable.  The Talent Dept. will send you these forms automatically if you qualify for this Program. For more information regarding the benefits of this program, please refer to the Early Retirement Program (ERP) Section on this webpage. 

    Remember: All Life Insurance via the District (Supplemental and District Paid) is Term Life. Consequently, all policies will end per the parameters referenced above. If you wish to continue your Life Insurance, you can request an application to convert and/or port some or all of your coverage by contacting The Standard @ 800-368-1135.   Note: Participants of the PXU Early Retirement Program per # 7 above retain their District Paid Life Insurance so conversion/portability would not be necessary for this policy only.

  • PXU Early Retirement Program (ERP)

    PXU sponsors an Early Retirement Program (ERP) for long-time PXU employees hired prior to 7/1/2009 who meet specific age and service requirements.  For more information, please review the PXU ERP Information page per the link below.
  • PXU ERP

  • Unused Leave Time/Special Pay Plan

     
    Upon severance from the PXU, any unused leave and/or vacation time you have accrued will be paid to you at the following percentages:
     
    Leave - 45% of daily rate of pay for Certificated employees or 
    45% of hourly rate of pay for Classified
    Leave - 50% of daily rate of pay for Exempt employees.
    Leave - 45% of duty rate of pay for Administrative employees. 
    Vacation - 100% of daily rate of pay for all groups (12 monthers only).
     
    Note: Leave and/or vacation time for Certificated and Administrative staff is tracked in days.  Leave time and/or vacation time for Classified staff is tracked in hours.  Also, eligibility restrictions and maximums may apply; please refer to your current Employee Handbook for more information.
     
    Payoffs less than $5000 will be paid directly to the severing employee.  If said payoff is more than $5000, the entire amount will be subject to the Special Pay Plan (SPP) whereby the funds will be funneled through a 403b account administered by Security Benefit. Once your money has been sent to Security Benefit, you will work with our agent directly to invest, move or withdraw your funds.  The District contact is Nester Montoya @ nmontoya@summitfinancialsolutions.com or (480) 471-8256.  For more information on the SPP, please read the Special Pay Plan Brochure and view the Special Pay Plan Presentation from Security Benefit.  Also, the IRS sets limits to the amount that can be contributed to a 403b each year; the 2020 maximum annual limit is $57,000.  Thus, any additional funds due to you once the 403b annual limit has been met will be processed the following calendar year(s).  

  • Arizona State Retirement System

    All eligible full-time, contracted employees of the PXU are also members of the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS).  Once you retire, your pension and insurance, if applicable, would be provided by the ASRS. To ensure a seamless transition from active employment to retirement, the ASRS provides workshops, webinars and one-on-one meetings. Please review the ASRS Timeline, which outlines the optimum time-frame for preparing for ASRS retirement.  

    In addition, please access your personalized account and other important retirement information on the ASRS website.
     
    If you are not eligible to retire from the ASRS upon your severance from the PXU, you can leave your money on account with the ASRS or you can terminate your ASRS membership and withdraw your retirement contributions. You can review your options and initiate a withdrawal.

  • Sunset

  • Returning To Work Post-Retirement

    The ASRS rules for returning to work after retirement are very specific.  If you do choose to return to work for the PXU or another ASRS employer, please make sure that you follow the ASRS guidelines on their website to prevent action against your ASRS pension. For a brief overview, please refer to the ASRS Returning to Work Rules sheet. 
     
    If you are a certificated employee and wish to return as a Guest Teacher for the PXU, please complete the Certificated Return to Work form and return it to Norma Dominguez @ CEE-5th Floor along with a copy of your current Teaching Certificate and Fingerprint Clearance Card.  You will be contacted for Guest Teacher Orientation and then placed on the Active Guest Teacher List.
     
    If you are a classified employee and wish to return to work as a temporary worker for the PXU, please complete the Classified Return to Work form and return to Erendida Munoz @ CEE-5th Floor. Talent will then contact you for any applicable assignments.