Benefits & Retirement

WA State School Retirees Assn Spring Retirement Webinars

The Washington State School Retirees’ Association is sponsoring a set of two pre-retirement webinars (March 9, 2026, and March 10, 2026, at 5:00 pm). These webinars are designed for those within one to five years of retirement from any K-12 public school district, or ESD.

WSSRA has sponsored these events since 2020 with strongly positive reviews. The presenters are agency employees or VEBA representatives who are well versed in their respective fields.

• You can register for these webinars by clicking here.

1095 Health Coverage Tax Documents

1095 Forms for tax year 2025 will be produced and available on Employee Online by March 2, 2026. After the forms are produced, you may go to Employee Online and print the form or email hrbenefits@nsd.org to request a printed copy. On December 23, 2024, President Biden signed the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act into law. This act states that employers need only print annual 1095 Forms upon receiving an individual request for one. 

More DCP savings in 2026

The IRS limits have increased for retirement savings programs like Washington’s Deferred Compensation Program (DCP).

• Read a news article
• Watch a short video
• Listen to a podcast.

Learn about DCP and how to get started.

The Department of Retirement Systems’ Education & Outreach team has updated the webinar schedule for Jan - March, 2026. To view the schedule and sign up for a live DRS Zoom webinar, select DRS Webinars. If you’re unable to attend a live webinar, these webinar videos are available on-demand:

Get to know the plans

• Choosing a plan (new members of PERS, SERS, TRS)
• DCP (Washington State Deferred Compensation Program)
• PERS Plan 1
• TRS Plan 1
• Plan 2 (PERS, SERS, TRS)
• Plan 3 (PERS, SERS, TRS)
• Multiple Plans (dual membership)

Financial Wellness

• Budget, debt management & prioritizing savings
• Estimate your benefit
• Investment basics
• Financial independence in retirement
• What should I do when retirement is years away?
• If I knew then what I know now

Withdrawals and retirement

• Early retirement (PERS, SERS, TRS)
• Purchasing an annuity and service credit
• DCP withdrawals (distributions from supplemental savings)
• Plan 3 withdrawals (distributions from investments)
• Benefit options (survivorship)
• Taking the fear out of retirement
• Late Career SERS & TRS Plans 2, 3

Specialty topics

• Working after retirement (PERS, SERS, TRS)
• Disability and death benefits (PERS, SERS, TRS)

Sno-King Retirees Association Retirement Seminars

Planning to retire in the next year or two? These in person seminars focus on the step-by-step retirement process and are designed for employees who expect to retire within the next couple of years. The sessions are hosted by Edmonds School District and feature representatives from each of our partner agencies, who will present information on VEBA, Social Security, Medicare, PEBB insurance, and your pension to help you navigate the transition smoothly.

Because seating is limited, we kindly ask that only those nearing retirement register to attend.

Please see the schedule for dates, times, and location by clicking here.

To register, please email: carlsonmo@edmonds.wednet.edu
Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up soon.

Substitute SEBB Benefit Eligibility

SEBB eligibility for substitutes is determined by Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 182-31-040. A substitute can earn SEBB benefits by working 630 hours in a school year. Once the 630 hours is met, the substitute will be notified of SEBB eligibility and have 31 days to enroll or waive their medical coverage. Coverage will be effective the first of the following month through 8/31.  Once a substitute has worked 630 hours for SEBB eligibility for two consecutive school years, they will be able to continue their benefits for the third school year.

Don't Confuse These Dental Plans

The SEBB Program offers two dental plans that are easily confused. Sometimes members intend to enroll in one plan, but accidentally enroll in the other. As a new hire, be careful to choose the one you want.

DeltaCare (group 09601) is a managed-care plan with a narrow network: You must choose a primary care dentist within their network or you will be assigned a primary care dentist. Your primary care dentist must give you a referral to see a specialist. This plan will not pay claims if you see a provider outside of their network.

Uniform Dental Plan (UDP) (Group 09600) is a preferred-provider plan: You may choose and change any dental provider at any time, but you will usually have lower out-of-pocket costs if you see in-network providers.

Compare your dental plan options on HCA's website at hca.wa.gov/sebb-employee-dental. Before you enroll in a dental plan, check with the plan (DeltaCare or UDP, not the provider) to see if your provider is in the plan's network and confirm the group number. You can call the dental plan's customer service or use the plan's online directory.

Special Open Enrollment - click to view

Certain events let you make account changes (like changing plans or enrolling a dependent) outside of annual open enrollment. You must provide proof of the event that created the special open enrollment (for example, a marriage or birth certificate) along with the required enrollment/change forms to Benefits 24/7 or the Benefits Office, no later than 60 days after the event. More information and step by step instructions can be viewed here.