The following words and phrases as used in sections 169.410 to 169.540, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:

1. (1) "Accumulated contributions", the sum of all amounts deducted from the compensation of a member and credited to the member's individual account together with interest allowed on such an account;
2. (2) "Actuarial equivalent", a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of interest and such mortality tables as shall be adopted by the board of trustees;
3. (3) "Average final compensation", the highest average annual compensation of the member received for any three consecutive years of service of the member's last ten years of service or if the member has had less than three years of such service, during the member's entire period of service;
4. (4) "Beneficiary", any person other than a retirant receiving a retirement allowance or optional retirement allowance or other benefit;
5. (5) "Board of education", the board of education or corresponding board having charge of the public schools of the school district other than those public schools which are operated by the board of regents;
6. (6) "Board of regents", the board of regents or corresponding board having charge of a public city teacher training school within the school district which was operated by its board of education prior to September 1, 1978;
7. (7) "Board of trustees", the board which administers the retirement system;
8. (8) "Compensation", the regular compensation which a member has earned as an employee during any period, excluding, however, any compensation earned by a person who became a member after December 31, 1995, which is in excess of the limitation set forth in section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code;
9. (9) "Consumer price index", the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the United States, or its successor index, as approved by the board of trustees, as such index is defined and officially reported by the United States Department of Labor, or its successor agency;
10. (10) "Creditable service", prior service plus membership service;
11. (11) "Employee", any person regularly employed by (a) the board of education or (b) the board of trustees or (c) the board of regents who was employed at a public teacher training school within the school district prior to September 1, 1978, and who did not become a member of the Missouri state employees' retirement system pursuant to section 104.342, RSMo. In case of doubt as to whether any person is an employee, the decision of the employing board shall be final and conclusive;
12. (12) "Medical board", the board of physicians;

13. (13) "Member", a member of the retirement system defined as an:

    1. (a) "Active member", a member who is an employee; or
    2. (b) "Inactive member", a member who is not an employee;
14. (14) "Membership service", service rendered since last becoming a member which is creditable. For the purpose of computing creditable service at retirement, membership service shall include a member's accumulated and unused days of sick leave. The decision of the employing board as to the number of accumulated and unused days of sick leave held by a member shall be final and conclusive;
15. (15) "Prior service", service prior to the date the system becomes operative which is creditable;
16. (16) "Public school", any school for elementary, secondary or higher education, open and public, which is supported and maintained from public funds and which is operated by the board of education of the school district or by the board of regents;
17. (17) "Retirant" or "retired member", a former member receiving a retirement allowance or optional retirement allowance or other benefit;
18. (18) "Retirement allowance", equal monthly payments for life to a retirant or to such beneficiary as is entitled to the payments;
19. (19) "Retirement system", the public school retirement school system of a school district;
20. (20) "School administrator", an employee whose job classification is included on the school administrators' position schedule of the employing board;
21. (21) "School district", any school district now having or hereafter attaining a population of seven hundred thousand inhabitants or more in which a retirement system shall be established;
22. (22) "Teacher", any teacher, substitute teacher, supervisor, principal, supervising principal, superintendent or assistant superintendent, who shall teach or be employed on a full-time basis in the public schools of a school district, except those teachers electing to become a member of the Missouri state employees' retirement system pursuant to section 104.342, RSMo. In case of doubt as to whether any person is a teacher, the decision of the board of education, or the board of regents with respect to individuals within its charge, shall be final and conclusive.

(L. 1943 p. 805 § 1, A.L. 1949 p. 532, A.L. 1951 p. 513, A.L. 1953 pp. 438, 496, A.L. 1957 p. 462, A.L. 1961 p. 384, A.L. 1965 p. 293, A.L. 1967 p. 263, A.L. 1978 S.B. 542, A.L. 1979 S.B. 392, A.L. 1981 H.B. 33, et al., A.L. 1987 H.B. 558, et al. merged with H.B. 713, A.L. 1989 S.B. 146, A.L. 1995 S.B. 378, A.L. 1996 S.B. 860)