Colorado Public Education Retirement Association (PERA) is the statewide retirement plan for public employees in Colorado.

Until now, Scoot Education has not interacted with PERA because PERA’s members are public entities (for example, public school districts) but Scoot is a private organization.

However, Colorado PERA’s recent declaration is changing how they classify Scoot’s employees.

Yes. According to PERA’s latest requirements, any person who works at a public or charter school in a substitute teacher position, whether employed directly with the school/district or employed by a third-party staffing provider, will have to become a member of PERA and make retirement contributions to PERA instead of Social Security.

Colorado PERA has decided that all substitute teachers working in public schools must join PERA. This is regardless of whether the school or a third party like Scoot Education hired you.

This means that if you are placed at a Colorado public or charter school, then:

Scoot will apply PERA deductions to shifts beginning on September 16th, 2024.

If Scoot, or any other third-party staffing provider, places you as a substitute teacher at a PERA-affiliated employer (public and charter schools in the state of Colorado), then you will become a PERA member after September 16th, 2024.

This means that you will have the rights and responsibilities of any other PERA member.

If you’re a current PERA member, then no action is required.

If you’re not a PERA member, then you will be automatically enrolled as a PERA member. PERA will contact you about your PERA account and retirement benefits.

Please contact PERA directly about options available for accessing the contributions you make into your PERA retirement account either before or after retirement.

Scoot and Colorado PERA have online resources available to help with this change:

We encourage and prefer you to contact PERA with questions instead of reaching out to your consultant, because we have no additional information at this time.