• OSD Employee Benefits

      Medical

      • Medical Benefits

        Health benefits are administered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi through the AHS State Network of physicians, hospitals and other health care providers. Each October during the annual open enrollment period, an employee may elect or change coverage. The coverage elections/changes made during open enrollment will take effect on January 1. You may discontinue coverage for yourself or dependents at any time throughout the year but may only enroll or make changes for coverage during open enrollment or if there is a qualifying life event. If you are currently enrolled and have no changes to your plan, you do not need to do anything. Your current plan selections will remain in place for the upcoming calendar year.

        The plan offers two coverage choices for active employees, COBRA participants and non-Medicare eligible retirees: Base Coverage and Select Coverage. Each coverage type is independent of the other. The monthly cost is shown below:

        Monthly Cost of Coverage
        Active Employee Legacy Employees Horizon Employees
        Base Select Base Select
        Total Premium Employee Portion Total Premium Employee Portion Total Premium Employee Portion Total Premium Employee Portion
        Employee* $412 $0 $432 $20 $412 $0 $455 $43
        Employee + Spouse $863 $451 $945 $533 $863 $451 $968 $556
        Employee + Spouse & Child(ren) $1,099 $687 $1,181 $769 $1,099 $687 $1,204 $792
        Employee + Child $529 $117 $612 $200 $529 $117 $635 $223
        Employee + Children $711 $199 $793 $381 $711 $299 $916 $404

        Legacy Employees: Initially hired before January 1, 2006.
        Horizon Employees: Initially hired on or after January 1, 2006.

        *The State pays 100% of the employee’s premium for Base Coverage. Active employees enrolling in Select Coverage must pay a portion of the employee premium.

        The Base and Select plans are similar; however, there is a difference in the annual deductible, office visit co-pays, etc. The individual deductibles are $1,800; the family deductibles are $3,600 for Select coverage and $3,200 for Base coverage. For more information, please visit the Department of Finance and Administration website at knowyourbenefits.dfa.ms.gov.

        Forms to enroll or make changes to your existing Blue Cross policy will be available during open enrollment. If an employee meets certain criteria, he or she may make changes outside of open enrollment. Contact the OSD Human Resources Associate for more information.

      Life Insurance

      • Standard Life Insurance (district paid)

      • Minnesota Life Insurance (optional, state issued)

      Supplemental Benefits

      • Supplemental Benefits

      • Dental

      • Vision

      • Additional Supplemental Benefits

      • Questions about Supplemental Benefits

      Open Enrollment

      • Open Enrollment

        Open Enrollment is the one time of year when employees can enroll in or change their medical, dental, vision, and other insurance plans and enroll in reimbursement accounts. Employees may meet with insurance representatives during open enrollment dates in August. Enrollments or changes made to health insurance will be effective January 1. Enrollments or changes made to all other policies and reimbursement accounts will be effective October 1.

        The district has two (2) different open enrollment periods:

        • American Fidelity Supplement Benefits
          • Open Enrollment Dates:  August 14 to August 18
          • Effective Date:  October 1
          • Details:  During this enrollment period, employees may enroll in new supplemental benefits and/or make changes to existing plans. These changes will be effective on October 1.
        • Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Benefits
          • Open Enrollment Dates: October 15 to November 15
          • Effective Date:  January 1
          • Details:  During this enrollment period, employees may enroll in a medical insurance plan or make enrollment changes to an existing plan. These changes will be effective on January 1.
        Comments (-1)

      PERS/Retirement

      • PERS / Retirement

        Retirees should initiate the Exit Process at least twelve (12) months in advance but no later than 90 days before the planned retirement date. The later a retiring employee waits, the greater the potential for a delay in receiving benefits. Remember – Oxford School District is just one of many within the state. When an employee is considering retirement, an audit of PERS contributions should be made. For best results, the audit should be requested before submitting a letter of resignation with the intent of retiring. Once the audit is complete, the employee should attend a PERS seminar and schedule a one-on-one retirement meeting in Jackson, MS. The seminar schedule can be found on the PERS website.

        Retirement Eligibility

        Employees are eligible for service retirement when they:

        • have 25 years of creditable service, regardless of age (30 years for members hired on or after July 1, 2011), or
        • are 60 years old and vested. Employees are considered vested after:
          • 4 years (for members hired prior to July 1, 2007), or
          • 8 years (for members hired on or after July 1, 2007).

        Creditable Service is the amount of time an employee has worked that counts towards their retirement. Creditable Service is awarded to vested members through the following qualifiers:

        • Membership
          • For every full fiscal year a member works after June 30, 2010, that member will be credited with one-half day of leave. (House Bill 1, First Extraordinary Session of 2010 of the Mississippi Legislature)
        • Accumulated Unused Leave
        • Military Service
        • Out-of-State Service
        • Professional Leave
        • Non-covered Services
        • Retroactive Service
        • Administrative Errors
        • Payback of account refunds

        Request an Audit: It is recommended that vested employees request an audit at least two (2) years prior to retirement eligibility and attend a PERS retirement seminar.

        What to do when you are ready to retire?

        At least 9 months prior to the date you plan to retire, you should submit a completed PERS Form 9A: Pre-Application for Service Retirement Benefits and a copy of your driver's license to Human Resources.

      Other

      • Other Benefits of Joining the Oxford School District

        • Employee Support:
          Professional growth opportunities and financial support for work-related workshops and training
        • Competitive Salaries:
          Our district leadership values the importance of competitive salaries which impacts the financial wellness of employees
        • New Teacher Support:
          Teachers new to the profession receive extra classroom funds for the first 3 years
        • Holidays Off for All:
          All OSD employees are off on district-recognized holidays
        • Discounted Childcare:
          Discounted after-school childcare at the local YMCA
        • Free Entry to Games:
          OSD employees are granted free entry into all home non-playoff events
        • Power Partner Program:
          Local business discounts from our Power Partners
        • Wellness Benefits:
          Local YMCA membership discount for all employees and family members
        • Free Healthcare Services:
          OSD employees and their children can seek free medical assistance from the Charger Health Clinic
      Last Modified on August 16, 2024