News & Updates
November 2nd, 2025 Update
MEMBER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TO KICK OFF AT NOVEMBER LUNCHEON
SCRTA will introduce a member recruitment campaign at the November luncheon. Membership Chair Jackie Hovey will explain the strategy which involves current members volunteering to send postcards to retired friends. Here's the good news...the postcards already include a message and are stamped. Members need only sign and address a card and drop it in the mail!
We have 100 postcards with which to start the campaign. We'll be asking for volunteers to send a postcard or two.
POPCORN SALE STARTS NOVEMBER 10
Scholarship Co-chair Vicky Shaw will announce the start of the Double Good Popcorn fund-raiser at the November luncheon. You may recall that we raised over $1,000 last year with just three members (that's not a misprint) selling popcorn. Is the popcorn more expensive than the Act II brand you can pick up at Marc's? Absolutely. But it's also much better and it's competitively priced with other nonprofits selling popcorn to raise funds, like the Boy Scouts. Double Good passes on 50% of sales to us.
All sales must be made online through the Double Good pop-up store. Vicky will guide us through the process of setting up a store. For those masters of technology among us who wish to set up their store before the luncheon, download the Double Good app from either the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (Apple). You will be asked to enter our event code which is ECO QLF. Our sale starts the week of our luncheon, running one week only from 5:00 PM Monday, November 10, through 5:00 PM Friday, November 14.
COURT PUTS BRAKES ON STRS BOARD REORGANIZATION
In our latest newsletter we reported that a coalition of teacher unions (OFT, OEA and AAUP) had filed a lawsuit seeking to block the restructuring of the STRS Board which was included in the recently passed budget bill. At that time, we reported that a temporary restraining order had been granted in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and upheld by the 10th District Court of Appeals. We reported that a hearing on a request for a preliminary injunction was scheduled for October 10 and that we would publish the outcome in an update.
Now, Franklin County Judge Carl Aveni has granted the preliminary injunction request. This means that the changes to the Board in the budget bill--shifting the Board majority from elected active and retired teachers to politically appointed members--may not be implemented pending a full-blown trial on the issue.
We will continue to follow developments in this case and report any movement to SCRTA members.
ADDITIONAL LITIGATION INVOLVING STRS
The trial in the lawsuit filed by the State of Ohio against former STRS Board member Wade Steen and current Board Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum, alleging mismanagement related to their involvement in the QED investment fiasco, concluded last Friday in Judge Karen Phipps' Franklin County Common Pleas courtroom. If the State's case is successful, Fichtenbaum would likely be removed from the Board. A decision in the case is likely mid- to late November after written closing arguments have been submitted to the Court.
No trial date has been set for the long in the tooth COLA lawsuit. The suit was filed by ORTA Executive Council member Dean Dennis and ORT Finance Committee member Bob Buerkle, both Cincinnati retirees. Originally filed in U.S. District Court in May of 2019, the suit was dismissed and then filed in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court four years ago in October of 2021.
SCHOLARSHIP, TEACHER GRANT DONATION TAX ADVANTAGES
There are two types of tax advantages involved in making a contribution to either SCRTA's Scholarship or Teacher Grants program.
Under IRS rules, SCRTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations to SCRTA are tax deductible. Another possibly more attractive benefit of donating is available to members who are at least 70 1/2 years old. A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) reduces your annual taxable income. QCD's are made directly from a traditional IRA. For members who are required to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from an IRA every year, QCD's count toward meeting the RMD in part or in full. QCD checks must be written to the charitable organization (SCRTA) by the custodian of your eligible account, for example, from Charles Schwab to SCRTA. Checks cannot be written to you then given to SCRTA. They may be mailed directly to SCRTA; if you prefer that the check be mailed to you, make sure it is made out to SCRTA.
A charitable contribution may not be used to both reduce taxable income and claimed as an itemized deduction.
If you are considering making a QCD to SCRTA, please consult with your financial advisor before doing so.
PAST SCHOLARSHIP WINNER TO LEAD LUNCHEON ENTERTAINMENT
In 2018, Nicholas Ratay was a senior at Barberton High School. That same year, he was awarded a SCRTA scholarship. Now, he teaches various music classes at Walsh Jesuit, including the string orchestra. Under his direction, the group will provide the entertainment at our final 2025 general membership luncheon meeting on November 11 at Guy's Party Center.
We hope you are able to join us on the 11th. A luncheon reservation form is attached below.
All the children in class were making pictures. "What is this?" the teacher asked one boy. "It's a picture of a cow in the grass," he said. "Where is the grass?" she asked. "The cow ate it all." "And where is the cow?" "The cow went to look for more grass to eat," stated the boy.