Monday, October 29, 2018

Our Mission 
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities. 

Our Goals 
• Increase learning growth for students 
• Decrease the gap in achievement 
• Increase annual graduation rates 
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success


All Eligible Staff Must Enroll in or Waive the Dependent Care Flex Plan for 2019

Online enrollment for the 2019 dependent care flex benefit plan will be open to eligible employees on Nov. 1, 2018. If you are a full-time employee or a Certified Union employee working a 96-day contract, you are eligible to participate.  

All full-time employees will need to either enroll during this period or waive participation through the enrollment process. For eligible part-time employees, due to system configurations, it is assumed that you automatically waive the benefit; however, if you wish to participate and are a CU employee with a 96-day contract, contact Juliette Houseman to enroll via paper.

The dependent care benefit allows you to pre-tax child, spouse or elder care expenses that you incur in order to allow you (and your spouse, if married) to work. If married, both spouses must be working to claim dependent care expenses. A dependent is defined as: 
  • A dependent of the employee who is under 13 years of age
  • A dependent or spouse who is physically or mentally disabled
The maximum amount your family may flex per calendar year is $5,000. All claims must be incurred by Dec. 31 and submitted for reimbursement within 60 days of the end of the plan year (March 1).

The deadline for enrolling in or waiving the dependent care plan is Nov. 30, 2018 at 4 p.m. 

As a reminder, all dependent care expenses for the 2018 plan year must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2018, and must be submitted to 121 Benefits for reimbursement by March 1, 2019.

To Enroll
First, go to your Employee Dashboard and go to the Employee Online Tab. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on the ENTER Your Dependent Care Deduction.


Next…
  • Click Dependent Care Coverage Type. 
  • If you want to waive Dependent Care and not have this benefit for the upcoming year, enter 0 under the New Change Request column.
  • If you elect to enroll in the plan, your maximum deduction per pay period can be $208.33, which equates to $4,999.92 ($5,000) total for the year.
  • Click Save to complete your Flex Dependent Care. (In clicking Save you agree to the Terms and Conditions.) 

NOTE: IF YOU ENTER AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN “0” IN EMPLOYEE COST PER PERIOD, THEN THAT AMOUNT WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PAYCHECK PER PAY PERIOD. 

If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at or ext. 14315.

Reminder: Save the Date for On-site Biometric Screenings by Hy-Vee

Save the date for our annual on-site biometric screenings performed by Hy-Vee! A link to register for appointment times will be shared in the future. 

Don’t wait for chronic diseases to sneak up on you. Take preventive measures by getting a health assessment from a Hy-Vee dietitian. Get quick and accurate results on cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, body fat and body mass index. The dietitian will then explain what the results mean to you. 

If you would rather, you can always go to a Hy-Vee store that has a dietician or to your primary care physician to have your biometric screening done. You will need to make an appointment with a Hy-Vee dietitian if you do a screening on your own.  

Screening Dates & Locations 
Johnston REC 
Dec. 5 & Dec. 18, 2018 
Jan. 10 & Jan. 24, 2019 
Feb. 5 & Feb. 20, 2019 
March 5 & March 28, 2019 

Newton Regional Office 
Dec. 6, 2018 

Ames Regional Office 
Dec. 11, 2018 

Carroll Regional Office 
Jan. 22, 2019 

Indianola Regional Office 
Jan. 15, 2019 

Adel Regional Office 
Feb. 13, 2019