Employee Benefits

The Pickens County School District offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive and valuable benefits program to all benefits eligible employees. Our benefit package, managed by Campus Benefits, is designed to provide security and assistance during a time of need.

Please visit our Pickens County Benefits website for more information on all the benefits that we offer.

Eligibility

  • All full-time employees working 20 or more hours per week are eligible to enroll in the various benefits described throughout the guide (Certain rules may apply per benefit).

  • General plan eligibility is listed on the top of each page. Specific employee and dependent eligibility rules are governed by each plan’s policy document/certificate, which is available on your employee benefits website, or by contacting Campus Benefits (after 1.1.2024).

Enrollment

  • New Hire: Benefits enrollment must take place within 31 days of hire date.

When Do Benefits Begin

  • The effective date of coverage for benefits depends on your hire date. Typically, benefits will begin the first of the month following 30 days of employment.

  • Employees must be actively at work on the effective date of coverage.

When Do Benefits End

  • Coverages as an active employee end the month after your last payroll deduction month. For example, if your last payroll deductions are in March, benefits will end on April 30th.

  • FSA ends at the end of your last month of payroll deduction.

  • Please note: Your benefits end date will vary for employees leaving at the end of a contract year.

  • Contact Campus Benefits for benefit portability questions.

Changes

  • Employee benefit elections are allowed as a new hire and during the annual open enrollment period. The selected benefits will remain in effect throughout the plan year.

  • A qualifying life event allows eligible changes to benefit elections throughout the plan year.

  • For Campus Benefits all qualifying life events must be submitted within 30 days of the event date.

  • For SHBP Health Plans all qualifying life events must be submitted within 30 days of the event date.

Retirement Programs

Pickens County School District offers the following retirement programs - Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRSga), Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS), and Supplemental Retirement plans.

 Teachers Retirement System of Georgia

TRS covers all teaching, administrative, clerical and other professional personnel. Teachers Retirement System eligible employees contribute 6% of their gross monthly salary to TRS.  In addition, the BOE contributes 19.98% of your gross salary to your TRS account. 

Public School Employees Retirement System

PSERS covers all non-TRS employees including bus drivers, food service, maintenance, warehouse and custodial employees. PSERS employees contribute $10.00 per month September through May (applies to employees hired after 7/1/2012). 

Supplemental Retirement Plans

The following plan options are available for benefits-eligible employees:  403(b) account, 457(b) accounts, Roth 403(b) and Roth 457(b) plans.

​More information regarding our retirement programs can be found at https://www.pickenscountybenefits.com/retirement-programs.