BENEFITS

District 161 offers a variety of benefits to staff, including medical and dental coverage and other wellness benefits such as, life and disability insurance, investment programs, and other financial benefits. To learn more about your benefits, check out some of these informational videos brought to you by the Alera Group, courtesy of the South Suburban Benefit Cooperative. If you have any questions about your benefits, please contact:

Terri Stadtler
HR Coordinator
(708) 647-7033

tstadtler@sd161.org

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

The District offers health coverage to employees through:

  • Medical insurance: Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IL

    We offer 2 HMO plans and 1 HDHP in conjunction with an HSA.

    • The Transparency in Coverage final rule, released on 10/29/20, requires health plans and carriers to publicly disclose pricing information via machine-readable files (MRFs). MRFs are intended for third party technology developers, as they are written in computer code, not English.

      Listed below is the URL for SSBC’s MRFs.

      https://www.bcbsil.com/asomrf?EIN=300792530

  • Dental insurance:    Delta Dental of IL

    We offer 2 HMO plans and 1 PPO plan.

  • Vision insurance:     EyeMed

Wellness Benefits

Flu Shot and Wellness Screening: Each fall, the District offers a free flu shot and comprehensive health screening to all staff members and other covered family members over the age of 18. These are free to those enrolled in any District insurance plan. Otherwise, staff members can purchase these services at a reduced cost. The HR Coordinator will send an email when registration opens.

Employee Assistance Program

The District provides all staff with access to a full-service employee assistant program managed by Perspectives. If you or a family member is struggling with problems such as relationship issues, job stress, depression, anxiety, financial issues, substance abuse, or grief, just call the EAP to make an appointment to speak with a counselor. The EAP is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day toll free at 800-456-6327. Your calls are strictly confidential. You can visit the EAP website here.

Tuition Reimbursement

The District offers certified staff tuition reimbursement for higher education while employed with the District. Reimbursement is at 2/3 of the actual tuition costs up to $500. Tuition reimbursement is available to certified staff after being employed in the District for one year.

Paid-Time Off

Paid-time off benefits are available to staff in the event of an illness or emergency.

Life & Disability Insurance

The District provides basic life insurance and long-term disability insurance to certified staff. Employees also can purchase additional, affordable life insurance.

403(b) Plans

The District offers employees the opportunities to invest voluntary contributions into a 403(b) program. You can find information on the website for TSA Consulting Group, the plan administrator.

The information provided on this website is not for the purpose of providing personal financial product or investment advice. It does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or investment needs. You should assess whether the information provided is appropriate to your particular investment objectives, financial situation, and investment needs. You should do this before making an investment decision. You can either make this assessment yourself or seek the assistance of a financial or legal adviser. The information contained in this website and the informational links is not a recommendation to invest in any investments, securities, or financial products.

Resource for retirement savings information and advice is from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy.

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) & Teachers' Retirement System (TRS)

Employees may receive contributions to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) or the Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS). If you are a member, you can visit the websites below to learn more about your benefits:

  • Certified employees:  TRS

  • Classified employees: IMRF

Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

In conjunction with the high-deductible health plan offered for medical insurance, the District also provides health savings accounts with a generous contribution from the Board of Education to each employee. Depending on your level of coverage, an employee can receive a contribution from $1,000 to $2000. The best part of the HSA is that the account is yours forever! Here is a HSA guide that can help answer some questions you may have.

Credit Union

Employees have the opportunity to have part of their salary withheld to be deposited into their own account with Great Lakes Credit Union. The credit union has many products and services available to their members. Check out the GLCU website.

MD Live

As part of the health insurance offering, employees can utilize MD Live to chat with a real live doctor from the convenience of anywhere! Download the MD Live or check out the MD Live website to register. Here is a flyer for more information.

Norton LifeLock

Norton LifeLock offers a variety of plans for identity protection, among other benefits, to all District employees. Anyone that is interested in purchasing a plan can do so through a voluntary payroll deduction at a reduced cost from a retail plan. For a breakdown of the plans offered, visit the LifeLock website.