July 2026 Reporting Tips
Year-End Exception Reports (YEERs) Coming Soon
Year-end exception reports (YEERs) for the 2025-2026 school year will be available after your June monthly report is processed. Find your district’s YEER on the Reporting/Year-End Exception/Certification Reports page in the Employer Secure Area (ESA).
Please complete this report at your earliest convenience. The YEER arrives prefilled with the district’s monthly reporting data, which you provided to the System. We offer this service to streamline the process and eliminate the need to print and mail a report to the System.
For details and instructions, refer to Section 6: The Employer Secure Area (ESA) in the Employer Manual, in particular the linked resource Year-End Exception Report (YEER)/Certification Report Procedures in the Employer Secure Area.
How to Report Loan Payments During the Summer
Loan payments are not required in July and August for members who are 10-, 11- or 12-month employees, so employers will not receive payroll deduction notices during those months. However, if you choose to submit loan payments during the summer, they must include documentation that clearly identifies both the deduction period and the amount to be applied for each member. Without this documentation, NYSTRS will be unable to apply the payments.
For questions, contact our Loan unit at [email protected].
Billing Process for Monthly, Estimated and Final Bills
Each year, the System’s Actuary department calculates the Employer Contribution Rate (ECR), which is then adopted by the Retirement Board at its July meeting. The ECR represents the percentage of member earnings employers must contribute to the System.
Each month throughout the school year (July 1 to June 30), employers report member salary information through the employer reporting process. The ECR is applied to each employer’s total member billable earnings to determine the employer contribution.
NYSTRS provides monthly, estimated and final bills in the Employer Secure Area (ESA). Billable earnings refer to any earnings used in a member’s pension calculation. These earnings are billed in the year they are paid to the member, including any retroactive salary adjustments.
For most school districts, both employer contributions and members’ mandatory contributions are deducted by the NYS Education Department from state aid and paid directly to NYSTRS. Employers who do not receive state aid – or whose aid is insufficient – must make direct payments to NYSTRS according to the billing calendar below.
Billing Calendar
| Date | Billing Activity |
|---|---|
| July 10 | June employer report due. The estimated bill is determined using all 12 monthly reports; or, if any report is not received, using a 3% percentage increase based on your previous school year’s billable earnings and the current ECR. |
| On or before Aug. 15 | Estimated bill produced for each employer. |
| Sept. 15 | First installment due: one-third of the estimated employer and member contributions. |
| Oct. 15 | Second installment due: one-third of the estimated employer and member contributions. |
| On or after Oct. 16 | Final bill published. |
| Nov. 15 | Third installment due: based on adjustment due from final bill figures of employer and employee contributions. |
Billing Reminders
- For an employer to receive an accurate estimated annual bill, it is imperative that NYSTRS receives all monthly reporting files promptly.
- The purpose of a monthly bill is to make needed billing adjustments to a school year for which a final bill was already generated. If there are any adjustments to salary or required contributions, you will be billed or refunded based on the ECR in effect for the school year in which the adjustment was made. Payment on monthly bills is due to NYSTRS within 30 days.
- If you receive a refund check from NYSTRS, your monthly bill will reflect the details for that check.
- Interest will be charged on any billing adjustments to member contributions, as NYSTRS is required to credit members with interest on their contributions beginning in the year the service was rendered.
For questions about billing, refer to Section 16: Employer Billing in the Employer Manual or contact NYSTRS at 800-348-7298, ext. 6220.
Special Delegate Election Underway
Employers statewide are currently holding special elections to fill open delegate and alternate seats. Key dates:
- Special election period runs through Oct. 1, 2026.
- Election results must be reported to NYSTRS via the Employer Secure Area(Opens in a new window) (ESA) by Oct. 6, 2026.
Consider filling any vacant NYSTRS delegate seats. Special elections may be held only when both a delegate seat and its corresponding alternate seat are vacant. However, candidates are not required to run with an alternate.
To determine whether your district has vacancies eligible for this special election, review the 2025-2027 Delegates list. This list shows the number of delegates allotted to each district/employer, current delegates and alternates, and any vacant delegate or alternate seats. If there is only one candidate for a position, no formal vote is required.
The chief school administrator (CSA) or their designee is responsible for establishing election procedures, conducting the election, and reporting results to NYSTRS.
For help reporting election results in the ESA, see Reporting Delegate Results(Opens in a new window), a step-by-step guide to reporting your district’s elected delegates and alternates.
Newly elected delegates and alternates begin serving as soon as election results are reported. Delegates and alternates reported during the special election will serve until the current term ends on July 31, 2027.
Delegates, elected by peers, serve two key roles: to elect a teacher member to the Retirement Board at the Annual Delegates Meeting, and to serve as a liaison between NYSTRS and the members in their district. Additional details are available on the Delegate Election & Annual Meeting page. You can also email [email protected] or call 518-447-2900, ext. 4071.