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Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association
Fighting for Ohio's teachers since 1947!
The mission of ORTA is to monitor, advocate for, and protect the pensions and benefits of its members. ORTA demands accountability from the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio andlobbies Ohio's legislators to provide a strong and sustainable retirement system for all Ohio educators, Pre-K through higher education. We rely on membership dues to continue our work.
STRS Board Approves Benefit Changes
Effective July 1, 2026, eligible benefit recipients will receive a 1.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in fiscal year 2027. Retirees who started receiving benefits on June 1, 2022, or earlier will receive a COLA that will be added to the base benefit on the retirement date anniversary and each month thereafter. For active teachers, 32 YOS was extended to May 1, 2035.
Weekly Update - March 28, 2026
Here is what happened this past week.
This past Tuesday, the 10th District Court of Appeals heard an appeal regarding the injunction on the Ohio STRS Board restructuring. This injunction prevented Rep. Bird’s amendment from being slipped into House Bill 96 (the state’s biennial operating budget Bill for fiscal years 2026-2027), from reconfiguring our pension board.
The State appealed, seeking to have the injunction lifted. The Unions, supported by ORTA, had to argue why the injunction should not be lifted. If you are following this case, it is listed in Franklin County Clerk of Courts' Case Information Online (CIO) as Glenetta Krause v. State Teachers Retirement Board. Members were able to listen to the appeal hearing this past Tuesday. The sentiment from listeners was that our attorney(s) did an excellent job and that the three-judge panel asked very important questions and had a solid grasp of the basis for the injunction. As of this date, a ruling has yet to be issued.
Related to the Krause case was the first hearing of Ohio H.B. 719 broadcast this past Wednesday on the Ohio Channel. This bill is sponsored by Rep. Jim Hoops but has four bipartisan co-sponsors. H.B. 719, in essence, seeks to undo Rep. Bird's amendment that was slipped into House Bill 96 in the wee hours before the Legislative vote.
The sponsors of H.B. 719 opined that the “Bird amendment" wasn’t transparent because legislators didn’t know it was in H.B. 96 and there wasn’t any chance for discussion or debate of the amendment. Again, H.B. 719 would restore the balance to our pension board by undoing what the “Bird amendment" sought to achieve. STRS pension members, more than half-a-million strong, are supportive of H.B. 719. STRS members should have control over their money.
ORTA is closely watching which legislators support H.B. 719 and which legislators will oppose the bill.
My best,
Dean Dennis, Chair
ORTA Executive Council
Click here to watch the recording of the first hearing on H.B. 719 on March 25th at the House Public Insurance and Pensions Committee meeting. Go to the 20:00 minute mark to watch the hearing on H.B. 719.
ORTA Pension Defense Fund
Please consider making a donation to the Pension Defense Fund to help pay legal fees and expenses to defend and protect our pension and retirement benefits from current and future legal attacks.
Judge grants preliminary injunction in lawsuit over Ohio teachers retirement system
On October 15th, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issued a preliminary injunction preventing changes to the composition of the STRS Board while litigation is in progress.
ORTA wishes to thank the organizations and individuals who have engaged in our fight to retain elected teachers on the STRS Ohio Retirement Board.
The Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Education Association, and Ohio Conference of American Association of University Professors funded the injunction to stop the removal of elected teachers to the STRS Ohio Board. They released this statement:
“We are thankful for Judge Aveni’s ruling to grant a preliminary injunction. This determination confirms what retired and active members of STRS have known since June: this is an unconstitutional power grab by the legislature. Educators, just like all other public employees in Ohio, deserve a meaningful voice in our pension plan.” — Statement from OEA President Jeff Wensing, OFT President Melissa Cropper, and OC AAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick.
Colleen Marshall, NBC4 Columbus, has reported factually and without bias on STRS Ohio since the Governor's failed attempt to remove Wade Steen from the STRS Board in May 2023. Watch her report on Judge Aveni's decision to support the preliminary injunction.
David Pepper has dedicated many of his Substack articles to the state's ongoing attack on members of the STRS Ohio Board.
"I have detailed the saga of how Ohio’s always lawless lawmakers have spent years attempting to steal the power of teachers and retirees over their own ($100B) pension fund. And how a number of their attacks have been in clear violation of Ohio law and the constitution." - David Pepper
And above all, we want to thank all of Ohio's teachers who contacted their legislators, asking them not to support this attempt by a small group of politicians to remove democratically elected members from our pension Board.
Join ORTA today! Take advantage of all of our member benefits!
Free AMBA Webinars
ORTA has partnered with AMBA to offer a series of short webinars about important topics like long term care, Medicare, medical transportation, and more. The talks are educational and informative. Join us for the next one, and invite a friend!
Each webinar begins with an ORTA update by Dr. Robin Rayfield, Executive Director.
ORTA County Chapters
Join your local county chapter of ORTA for social, educational, and volunteer activities, as well as presentations about STRS Ohio and your retirement benefits. Check our list of county chapters for links to chapter websites and Facebook groups. If your county doesn't have an active chapter, contact ORTA about starting one!
ORTA Facebook Group
We created this new Facebook group to make Ohio's retired and active teachers aware of all of the opportunities available to them at our county chapters throughout the state. Chapters can submit posts about monthly meetings, classroom grants and student scholarships, volunteer opportunities, events and activities.
AMBA Benefits
ORTA has partnered with Association Member Benefits Advisors, to offer our members exclusive group rates on health, Medicare supplement, life, dental, vision, and professional liability insurance. AMBA focuses on providing customized coverage through top-rated insurance providers, with options often available to members who may not otherwise qualify for group rates.
ORTA Video Library