Dean Dennis to Ohio's legislators: "No more hiding from the problem."

Dean Dennis addressed the STRS Ohio Board during Public Participation on February 18, 2026.

I will share what our organization plans to share with legislators. I hope that STRS’s paid lobbyists will be on the same page. This is an election year.

STRS members do not receive Social Security; our inflation protection is provided only by our STRS pension.  Since 2017, STRS retirees have fallen 25% behind Ohio’s Social Security recipients. Retirees need reliable inflation protection.

STRS Actuaries rely on Employer Contributions and Employee Contributions, along with investment returns, to fund benefits. Of all 50 states, Ohio has gone the longest without raising the Employer Contribution Rate (since July 1983). 

When comparing the average Employer Contribution Rate with other non-Social Security states, Ohio has the lowest rate at 14%, compared to the aggregated average of 30%. Ohio’s Employer Contribution Rate is the most deficient of all the states. Consultants have identified this as the primary reason Ohio’s retired teachers lack reliable inflation protection. It is also why we have the only negative normal-cost in the United States.

Ed Choice hurts the STRS pension system. Over the past three Fiscal Years, approximately $2.3 Bill has been appropriated towards vouchers for private and religious schools. These vouchers divert monies away from public schools and the STRS pension system, further hurting teachers when they retire. The primary beneficiaries of these dollars enrich families well above the poverty line. 

ORTA understands that this Board has a daunting task of serving members with such a significant cash-flow problem, whether elected or appointed; the insufficient Employer Contribution rate is a no-brainer. In this election year, let’s drive this point home with Ohio’s legislators. No more hiding from the problem. 

Dean Dennis, Chair ORTA Executive Council