Four months ago, I made a simple request to the Board or STRS staff. I am still waiting for a response.

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

I’m Dean Dennis. I’m a retiree who paid into STRS for 35 years. I’m also the Executive Chair of the Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association (ORTA).

Four months ago, I made a simple request to the Board or STRS staff. I am still waiting for a response. I asked: on whose advice are you following when you don’t comply with the Ohio Revised Code, which addresses our COLA (3307.67)? 

To cover all bases today, I have given each of you a copy of the code to read. It occurred to me that, although the COLA is an ongoing issue, perhaps it's been too long since you last revisited the language in the code. 

Reading the code again should help you understand why ORTA believes you have been in breach of your fiduciary duty regarding the COLA. Please confirm with an attorney that the word “shall” in the code means “must” and is a requirement. 

I will let you read for a while, then resume my address at the one-minute warning in the allotted 3 minutes.

But let me give you an example: the STRS actuary states there is $1.3 billion available for bonuses; a 2% COLA costs $ 0.8 billion, and the Board doesn’t provide a 2% COLA. How does ORTA explain that to our members? ORTA wants to know how you want us to explain this. 

Lastly, something we all agree upon: the Ohio Legislature is underfunding our pension. The Employer Contribution needs to be raised. This contribution rate lags peers by over 200%. Every legislator needs to hear this message, again and again. Don’t ever give up.  Another thing our legislators need to hear is this question: Why isn’t there a mitigating rate attached to the taxpayer-funded EdChoice voucher program to offset the revenue our pension system is losing from the annual billion-dollar EdChoice program?

Thank you.