About BERS

The New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) was founded on August 1, 1921 to provide retirement benefits for civil service employees permanently employed by the City and School District of New York other than those who may retire under the provisions of other retirement laws. BERS has since expanded to include other employees, such as provisional and part-time employees of the Department of Education (DOE) and other covered employers.

The Retirement Board of BERS consists of the thirteen (13) members of the DOE Panel for Education Policy and two (2) employee-members elected by the membership. The system is administered by the Executive Director under the direction of the Retirement Board. BERS currently employs approximately seventy (70) employees. The management and staff of BERS are committed to courteous and professional service for our membership.


	Mission Statement
	Objectives
	Board of Trustees

BERS is one of the largest multi-employer, multi-tiered retirement systems in the United States. Our members are employed in such agencies as the Department of Education, the School Construction Authority, the Police Department and the Transit Authority. BERS currently provides retirement benefits to members in four (4) tiers. These benefits range from service and disability retirements to survivor benefits. The Retirement System benefits exist to provide financial security for its members and their beneficiaries both during employment and after employment ends.

Beyond retirement benefits, BERS also offers a tax-deferred annuity program established under the guideline of section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. This program gives members the opportunity to invest additional savings on a pre-tax basis.

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