When longtime Conifer High School physics teacher Louie King returned to the classroom after retiring, he didn’t expect to take his employer to court.
But after he failed to receive a 5% cost-of-living adjustment given to other Jefferson County Public School educators for the 2024–25 school year that King believes he was entitled to, he filed a small claims lawsuit to recover what he believes he and more than 100 other retirees are owed.
Yet, according to a district spokesperson, King wasn’t denied a cost-of-living adjustment. Rather, he wasn’t eligible for one based on the bargaining agreement between JCEA and the district.
“This really isn’t about a couple thousand dollars,” King said. “It’s about a whole group of people who are being used unfairly.”
King says he qualifies for the cost-of-living adjustment and stipend because he meets the definition of “educator” under the district’s contract with the Jefferson County Education Association. That designation, according to the contract, includes anyone working at least half-time.
Still, King’s base pay decreased slightly from the prior year, and he says the district is misinterpreting a clause in Article 17 of the negotiated agreement to justify the decision.
A September 2024 email from Adam Barnett, executive director of total rewards, states that retired educators returning to work are “reset” each year to the salary step closest to their final pre-retirement pay.
“While the step King was placed on for the 2024-25 school year was different than the one from 2023-24, it was in accordance with the current contract language, guaranteeing him pay no less than what he was receiving at the time of his retirement, but affording him the COLA that was applied to steps, although his step placement from year to year might vary,” a district spokesperson said.
That approach, King argues, strips returning retirees of any pay progression or raises and violates the intent of cost-of-living adjustments, which are meant to help all working educators keep pace with inflation.
“I’m not asking for special treatment,” he said. “Just the same treatment as every other educator.”
Different titles, same duties
Based on records gathered from public records requests and a list provided to him by JCEA, King estimates that more than 100 retirees were affected by the policy.
However, a district spokesperson stated that for the 2024-25 school year, 29 retirees were working in a JCEA position at 0.5 FTE or higher.
While some work sporadically as substitutes, King said the district rehired at least 20 at the threshold for contract protections, union representation and cost-of-living adjustment eligibility under the negotiated agreement.
“These are experienced teachers stepping into hard-to-fill roles,” King said. “They already know the kids. They need little to no training. They’re a huge asset to the district, and they’re being undervalued.”
Some retirees are classified as “guest teachers” or long-term substitutes, earning about $200 per day. Others, like King, are hired under post-retirement contracts that come with specific terms.
According to the union agreement, “educators who return to Jeffco on post-retirement contracts are not entitled to salary advancement via steps and/or lanes for the duration of their employment.
“What a bargain the district gets out of these people,” King said. “You don’t have to pay their medical. You don’t have to train them. They walk in and do the job.”
Union limits and legal next steps
After filing a grievance and requesting arbitration, King stated that the Colorado Education Association, the state’s teachers’ union, declined to move forward with the case.
That decision cleared the way for King to pursue the matter independently in Jefferson County small claims court.
At a June 5 hearing, the district asked for the case to be dismissed. Instead, the magistrate issued a stay and gave King until August 6 to seek arbitration, saying he wasn’t yet certain whether King had fully exhausted his administrative remedies.
According to King, the cost of arbitration could range from $3,000 to $6,000, which is a significant expense for a retired teacher without legal representation.
Still, King said he is committed to seeing it through.
“I’ve always tried to finish the things I start,” he said. “I just want to leave the profession better than I found it for the kids and for the teachers who come after me.”
This article has been updated to reflect that King received a 2% stipend at the same time as other educators in the district. Also, the bargaining agreement, rather than district policy, between JCEA and the district defines how retired substitutes are paid. King wasn’t denied a COLA adjustment because, under the agreement, he wasn’t entitled to one.