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What the move to a 12-month calendar means for principals and vice principals

 · 5 min read

Starting July 1, 2025, all principals and vice-principals will work a standardized 12-month school year, based on an agreement between the principals’ and vice-principals’ associations, the trustees’ associations and the Ontario government. This article will be updated with more details in the coming weeks regarding the 2025/26 school year and beyond. Here are answers to your frequently asked questions:

What if I’m already on a 12-month school year?

If you’ve already been on a 12-month calendar there isn’t an impact on your pension because of the new agreement.

What if I’m planning on retiring on June 30, 2025?

For the 2024/2025 transitional school year, if you planned on retiring on June 30, 2025, your final year of pension service is determined based on a 10-month calendar. If you work full-time at 100% FTE from September to June, you’ll have full service and salary for that school year. Make sure you’ve reviewed the retirement checklist so you’re ready when your moment arrives.

I’m retiring on June 30, 2025. What’s the impact on my 85 factor?

If your 85 factor is reached in the 2024/2025 school year, the switch to a 12-month calendar won't affect your retirement date.

If I choose to work in education after I retire, will the work I do in July and August count towards the re-employment limit?

For pension administration purposes, the school year generally follows a September to August cycle. Any work, including training hours, during a given school year counts towards the re-employment limit for that school year. If you’re hired on a part-time basis, days count in direct proportion to your contract percentage. For example, if you’re on a 33% contract and work one-third of a day, three days would count as one day of re-employment. If you're paid by the hour or hired for a specific task, ask your employer what counts as a workday for your job.

The re-employment limit resets at the start of the school year. Since employers have slightly varying calendars, make sure to contact your employer to confirm which school year your workdays in August fall under.

When can I start re-employment if I retire on June 30, 2025?

If you’re retiring on June 30th you can’t pre-arrange to continue or return to work in education in July or August. If you have a valid resignation and are contacted after your pension starts, any days worked before the start of the new 2025/2026 school year will be counted against the re-employment limit for the 2024/2025 school year (e.g. working for a few days from July 21, 2025, to August 8, 2025, will count under the 2024/2025 limit).

Learn more about re-employment.

Can I still use the pension calculator?

If you were previously on a 12-month calendar, the pension calculator should work for you. If you’re moving from a 10-month work year to a 12-month, the pension calculator may not fully incorporate the change, yet. We’re working on it. Keep an eye on this story for updates.

When should I contact Ontario Teachers’?

If you’re deciding between retiring at the end of the 2024/2025 school year or waiting until the 2025/2026 school year, contact us to compare retirement scenarios.