American Fidelity suggests questions for benefits providers

Employers should ask questions about their benefits providers, according to American Fidelity. Does their provider:

- Specialize in their industry?

- Make itself available year-round?

- Have a dedicated team to ensure there is no gap in service expectations?

- Offer individual benefits education so employees understand their compensation package?

- Educate and enroll new hires throughout the year?

- Support employees year-round?

- Give compliance guidance regarding state and federal laws?

- Have familiarity with Affordable Care Act and ERISA requirements?

- Conduct dependent verification reviews?

- Have strong financial ratings?

- Charge for benefits communication literature, enrollment platform, compliance or education?

- Educate about retirement and also options to lower taxable income while still working in education?

For more information about how American Fidelity can help school districts with employee benefits, go to americanfidelity.com/why-us/for-education or call 800.688.4421.

Entegrity: Act now for solar benefits before law takes effect

School districts still have time to implement solar energy projects to receive the maximum financial benefits, but that window could close by the end of this year, Entegrity says.

Act 278, passed this legislative session, imposes net metering and financ- ing restrictions that significantly reduce the value of solar energy entering the utility grid, thus reducing the financial payback of solar projects for schools.

New customers connected to the grid before Oct. 1, 2024, will be grandfathered in under net metering, meaning these customers will continue to receive one-to-one compensation at retail rates through 2040. However, this does not account for installation time. To ensure their project meets this deadline, Entegrity advises customers to be under contract by the end of 2023.

To learn more, contact Entegrity at info@entegritypartners.com or visit www.entegritypartners.com

VS America helps schools buy furniture with ESSER money

VS America is working with educators nationwide to help them purchase school furniture using ESSER funding.

“Prior to this COVID-related funding, a lot of schools had no path available to update student furniture,” said Scot Morris, regional manager for VS America.

Morris said that over the past several years, there has been an emphasis around the need for agile, adaptable learning spaces to better support student health and the evolving science of teaching and learning. Research shows such agile spaces are more aligned with the project-based, collaborative learning that is happening in schools today.

According to Morris, “Moving classrooms from static to agile is completely within the guidelines of the COVID relief funds for schools, and using a portion of those funds to make important updates in adaptability will have important generational impacts.”

For more information, contact Morris at 704.378.6500, or go to vsamerica.com