Read the latest updates from the School Employee Retirees of Ohio.
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Dear James,
Our next newsletter will arrive to you after a very historic event, the 250th anniversary of America's declaration of independence. Amazingly, SERO has been around for just under 1/5th of that time as we celebrate our 48th anniversary on June 23rd. However you choose to celebrate these events (we know one of them is a bigger deal than the other), we wish you the best!
In service, Jim Janosik, CAE, CNP Executive Director
SERS
May Board Meeting Highlights
Overall, the pension fund shows steady multi‑year outperformance and active reallocation toward diversifiers (infrastructure, commodities, gold) amid macro uncertainty, while health plans anticipate mixed 2027 impacts: muted change for Medicare Advantage but notable increases for certain non‑Medicare and PPO premiums. Administrative actions emphasize stability, with budget acceptance, fee‑stable actuarial support, and continuity in investment consulting. Read the full May 2026 board meeting highlights HERE.
School Employees Retirement System Board Appoints Ray Higgins as Executive Director
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Board is pleased to announce that Ray Higgins has been named as the Executive Director of the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio (SERS). “We are excited to have Ray join SERS and look forward to him joining the organization in early July. He is a highly qualified and accomplished pension executive, and the Board is confident that his leadership and expertise, strong belief in defined benefit plans, and dedication to always putting the members first make him the right person to lead SERS on our continued path to excellence,” said James Rossler, Chair of the SERS Retirement Board.
With this appointment, Higgins becomes the eighth Executive Director since the System’s founding in 1937. “I am honored to be selected as the next Executive Director of SERS, and I am excited to join the team. SERS is respected nationally for its management, investment performance, and effective Board leadership,” Higgins said. “Together, we will work hard to maintain and enhance that reputation while ensuring the highest level of service to our members.”
LEGISLATIVE
Ohio Supreme Court Says Districts Can’t Challenge Certain Tax Valuations in Court
When lawmakers closed the door on school districts’ power to seek administrative appeal of property valuations, they did not open a window to challenging valuations in court, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled. Read the full article HERE.
Ideas Abound on Uses for $1.2B Surplus
From court-ordered nursing home payments to property or gas tax relief to simply sitting on it until biennium’s end, lawmakers and advocates have plenty of ideas on how to spend a state budget surplus that recently passed $1 billion, Cleveland.com reports. Read the full article HERE.
Campaign Experts Say Constitutional Amendments Unlikely to Make November Ballot
Longtime political observers on both sides of the aisle predict neither the ballot issue to abolish property taxes nor the ban on large data centers will have enough signatures to make the November ballot, Cleveland.com reports. Both note that successful campaigns usually use paid signature gatherers because the bar is so high. Read the full article HERE.
More than 100 Ohio School Districts Projecting Deficits
According to research from an Ohio State University professor, 124 of 611 Ohio school districts project they will have negative cash balances by FY29, the highest rate since 2012, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Legislation Tracking
We are currently tracking the following legislation that may be impactful to SERO and to you. When member action is necessitated, as determined by the SERO Executive Board, we will reach out with directives. You may always track any of this yourself and reach out to the SERO office and/or Board members to share your thoughts.
“Life Expectancy Data Reveals Major Changes Affecting Retirement Plans Now”
People are living longer nowadays. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy was 75.8 years for males, 81.1 years for females, and the average for both sexes is 78.4 years in 2023. But these averages don't tell the whole story. Medical advances mean more people are living into their late 80s and 90s than ever before. Read the full article HERE.
A New Proposed $100,000 Social Security Benefit Limit
The Trust Fund Solutions Initiative white paper, published on March 24, 2026, offers a new option to improve Social Security solvency by establishing a maximum benefit level. The Six Figure Limit (SFL) would set a $100,000 cap on the total benefits a couple retiring at the Normal Retirement Age (NRA-new nomenclature for full retirement age) can receive. Read the full article HERE.
We are sad to share that past state board member and past chapter 1 president Gaye Suver passed away on May 3rd. Gaye retired from Columbus City Schools after a lifetime career at the Board of Education where she met and kept her lifetime friends. Memorial trees were planted in her honor by members of the Franklin County Chapter 1. See her full obituary HERE.
SERO brings a new level of regional exploration to our members with our first ever group travel offer just for SERO, PERI, and ORTA members and their families and friends. Join us in September 2026 as we visit Kentucky Classics: Bourbon, Bats, and Bluegrass. Click HERE to view the full itinerary and details. To view the pre-recorded webinar about the trip please click HERE and copy and paste this passcode to access it: @SKbS$3l
Your member benefits continue to expand with SERO's offering of guided group travel experiences around the globe. Here are the current travel offerings:
Lifetime membership, available in either one-time payment or six easy monthly installments.
Under 55
$400
Age 55 to 59.99
$345
Age 60 to 64.99
$288
Age 65 to 69.99
$230
Age 70+
$173
Annual dues: $30 by check or $31.50 by credit/debit card or ACH
2-year dues: $61.50 by credit/debit card or ACH
3-year dues: $91.50 by credit/debit card or ACH
Monthly SERS dues deduct: $2.50
ALL of our memberships can now be paid with a debit/credit card or ACH directly from your bank account securely through the membership portal.
You may self-manage any of these new options by logging in to your membership profile HERE and choosing the desired membership. You may also call the office at 614-431-0387 if you need assistance with this. If you are on Dues Deduct, please call the office for guidance before switching to another method of payment.
IMPORTANT CONTACTS AT A GLANCE (click name to visit website)
The Voice of Working and Retired School Employees ohio-sero.com
4182 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219 • 614.431.0387
https://linktr.ee/OhioSERO
*Any content provided herein by SERO should not be construed as making any form of financial, legal, or medical advice. All material should be vetted by the reader personally and with their own professional advisors.
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