(a)  In calculating “service”, “prior service”, or “total service” as defined in § 16-16-1, every teacher shall be given credit for a year of service for each year in which he or she shall have served as a teacher; provided, that any teacher who through illness or leave of absence without pay does not serve a full school year may receive credit for a full school year of service by paying the full actuarial cost as defined in § 36-8-1(9). Credit for leaves of absence shall be limited, in the aggregate, during the total service of a teacher to a period of four (4) years; provided, however, every teacher who had been required to resign for maternity reasons may receive credit for maternity reasons by making contribution to the system upon her return to teaching the amount she would have contributed to the retirement system, with regular interest, based upon her expected compensation but for her absence due to maternity reasons.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-5

  • compensation: includes any and all salary paid for teaching services regardless of whether any part of the salary or compensation is derived from any state or federal grant or appropriation for teachers' salaries, as the term is defined in §?36-8-1(8). See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • Member: means any person included in the membership of the retirement system under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • Service: means service as a teacher as described in subdivision (12) of this section. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • system: means the employees' retirement system of the state of Rhode Island created by chapter 8 of Title 36, and "retirement board" means the board established under that chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • Teacher: means a person required to hold a certificate of qualification issued by or under the authority of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education and who is engaged in teaching as his or her principal occupation and is regularly employed as a teacher in the public schools of any city or town in the state, or any formalized, commissioner approved, cooperative service arrangement. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • Teaching: includes teaching, supervising, and superintending or assistant superintending of schools. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • Total service: means prior service as defined in subdivision (6) of this section, plus service rendered as a member of the system on or after the first day of July, 1949. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-16-1
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  The retirement board shall fix and determine the time when and the conditions under which the payments shall be made.

(c)  Any teacher who serves or who has served during a school year the number of days that the public schools are required by law to be in session during the year shall be given credit for a year of service for that year. In determining the number of days served by a substitute teacher the total number of days served in any public school of any city or town in the state may be combined for any one school year. Any teacher shall be entitled to “prior service” credit for service prior to July 1, 1949, provided the teacher shall have been in service during the school year 1949-1950. The teacher shall be entitled to service credit for any year subsequent to July 1, 1949 in accordance with this chapter, by making contribution to the retirement system of the full actuarial cost for any such service credit.

(d)  Any teacher employed in at least a half (½) program including a job share program, or working at least half the number of days that the public schools are required to be in session, shall remain a contributing member and shall receive credit for that part-time service on a proportional basis. The purchase of any remaining program or job share time in which the teacher did not work shall not be permitted.

(e)  In computing service or in computing compensation, the retirement board shall credit no more than one year of service on account of all service in one calendar year.

(f)  Notwithstanding any other section of law, no member of the retirement system shall be permitted to purchase service credit for any portion of a year for which he or she is already receiving service credit in this retirement system.

History of Section.
P.L. 1948, ch. 2101, § 3; P.L. 1951, ch. 2830, § 6; G.L. 1956, § 16-16-5; R.P.L. 1957, ch. 70, § 1; P.L. 1966, ch. 111, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 211, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch. 174, § 2; P.L. 1981, ch. 175, § 1; P.L. 1987, ch. 584, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 139, § 6; P.L. 1994, ch. 142, § 7; P.L. 1997, ch. 169, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 86, § 36; P.L. 2009, ch. 68, art. 7, § 4; P.L. 2011, ch. 408, § 10; P.L. 2011, ch. 409, § 10.