The Cassopolis Board of Education approved early retirement incentives for 2013 Monday night in a special meeting.

To be eligible for the early retirement, members of the Cassopolis Education Association:

• Participants must be at, or eligible to be Step 18 of the CEA salary schedule
• Written resignation must be received and accepted by the superintendent not later than June 17 at 3 p.m.
• There must be a minimum of three participants in this plan or the offer will be withdrawn in its entirety.

Program benefits

• One-time payment of $7,000
• $50 for unused/accumulated sick days up to the maximum stated in the CEA master agreement
• Payment of the incentive will be made in one installment in September. In the event that funding difficulties make the district’s cash-flow unable to honor this schedule, payment will be made at the earliest opportunity when state funding is realized.

Other conditions

• The CEA agrees to hold the Board of Education harmless on any potential claims of discrimination, litigation of any type initiated by a CEA member or former CEA member and any individual tax consequences related to this program.

The board voted unanimously to extend the offer of early retirement to the CEA. Superintendent Tracy Hertsel told the board that it was similar to what they did last year.

The board also heard a presentation from DM Burr Group as it examines privatizing its custodial services.

Prior to the presentation during public comments, Sam Adams teacher Felomina Patton and Ross Beatty Jr.-Sr. High School custodian Richard Kiner spoke to the board asking them to reconsider privatizing the custodians.

Proposed reductions for the 2013-14 budget were given to the members of the board to look over.

The Board of Education accepted the retirements of Sharon Tubbs (paraprofessional) and Diane McKee (custodian) as well as the resignations of Bradly Knight (custodian), Elisabeth Anderson (band/choir) and Carrie George as the Science Department chair.