Members of the Junction City Area Retired School Personnel learned at their meeting on Friday that it has been 22 years since they received a cost of living adjustment for retired school personnel in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. Sharon Sharp from JCARSP  reported that there has not been an adjustment since 1997. Gil Bunning, District 2 KARSP Director, encouraged those attending the meeting to “contact legislators to encourage support of a bill to address this concern.

Bunning shared that “340,000 hours of volunteer time were recorded last year by retired teachers in Kansas. All retired teachers do not report their volunteer hours, so the number could be higher. At $25 per hour, that would equal $10 million and cover the COLA.”

This month’s project for the local organization was to provide school supplies for transition students. There was also a request that members donate quality used clothing and / or volunteer to work at the “Blue Door” at Junction City High School. Donated clothing is sent to a local laundromat, returned to the Blue Door and then made available for students in need. The contact person is Marty Rombold at Martyrombold@usd475.org.

( Dr. Ferrell Miller contributed to this report. )