Annual Delegates Meeting – Attendance, Salary and Expense Issues

9/10/2026

Issue No. 2026-9

To: Chief School Administrators 
College and University Presidents 
District Contacts 
Employer Secure Area Contacts

As representatives of their districts, NYSTRS delegates have two main functions: attend the Annual Delegates Meeting held in the fall at which they elect a teacher member to the System’s Retirement Board, and serve as a liaison between NYSTRS and the members in their district. This Administrative Bulletin clarifies the roles of delegates and assists school administrators in understanding how to address attendance, salary and expense considerations related to the 2026 Delegates Meeting. 

Section 504 of the Education Law provides that three of the 10 members of NYSTRS’ Retirement Board must be active members of the System. Section 505 of the Education Law provides for the election of these Board members on a rotating basis at the Annual Delegates Meeting held each October or November. Ballots may only be cast by delegates. 

The 2026 Delegates Meeting will be held Sunday, Nov. 1 and Monday, Nov. 2 at the Saratoga Springs City Center. To assist participating employers in understanding how to treat delegate attendance, salary and expense issues as they relate to the annual meeting, NYSTRS has posted the following on the Employers/Delegate Election & Annual Meeting page at nystrs.org.

• An opinion of the New York State Comptroller that employers may not pay the expenses of employees who attend NYSTRS’ annual meeting of delegates.
• A decision by the New York State Commissioner of Education that attending the meeting is part of a delegate’s official duties and as such the delegate is entitled to his or her normal salary when attending this meeting. However, because delegates do not attend the meeting as delegates of the employers, there is no legal authority for employers to reimburse delegates for expenses incurred.
• An opinion of the Counsel to the Education Department that delegates are entitled to full salary when attending the annual meeting and that no deductions should be made from any sick or other leave credit accruals for attending the meeting. 

Employers requiring any clarification of these opinions as they relate to their circumstances are encouraged to contact the State Education Department or the Office of the State Comptroller, as applicable.