PURPOSE: This rule sets forth procedures for claiming and verifying credit for services rendered prior to the establishment of the retirement system on October 13, 1965.

1. (1) On a form supplied by the board of trustees, each member claiming prior service credit shall file with the board of trustees a statement of all services performed by him/her in the public schools of Missouri prior to October 13, 1965, for which credit is claimed, and the services shall be listed separately by years.

2. (2) All claims for prior service credit by members shall be verified by one (1) of the following means:

   1. (A) A statement from a school or county official having custody of the records; or
   2. (B) When no official records are existent for service claimed, by affidavits from not fewer than two (2) persons having first-hand knowledge of the service, preferably persons who served with the individual or who were members of the board of directors of the district at the time.
3. (3) Any member who qualifies for prior service credit, and who files a claim for such credit prior to July 1, 1983, or within two (2) years after employment in a position covered by the retirement system, whichever is later, and in accordance with the regulations of the 16 CSR 10-6

board of trustees, shall be allowed credit to the extent to which the claim is approved by the board of trustees. Prior service credit shall be allowed on a year or fraction-of-year basis, computed to the nearest tenth of a year. A member who served the complete term of employment of the member’s position within a school year shall receive one (1) year of prior service credit. A member who served for less than the complete term of employment within a school year shall receive a partial year of prior service credit, calculated by dividing the number of months served by the number of months in the term of employment. If not otherwise determinable, a term of employment shall be deemed to be nine (9) months in length. No more than one (1) year of prior service credit shall be allowed for one (1) school year and service in one (1) school year shall not be creditable to another year. It is further provided that, should the application of this rule for any member whose retirement becomes effective at any time during the period July 1, 1988 through June 30, 1993 result in a lesser benefit than under the rule in effect on June 30, 1988, then the benefit which would have been payable under the previous rule shall be paid.

AUTHORITY: section 169.610, RSMo 1986.* Original rule filed Dec. 19, 1975, effective Jan. 1, 1976. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Sept. 11, 1981, effective Dec. 11, 1981. Emergency amendment filed June 20, 1988, effective July 1, 1988, expired Oct. 28, 1988. Amended: Filed June 20, 1988, effective Sept. 29, 1988.

*Original authority: 169.610, RSMo 1965, amended 1977.