Thorpe v. Public School Employees' Retirement Board

# Thorpe v. Public School Employees' Retirement Board **What Happened** Thorpe worked for two not-for-profit organizations (PASS and Elwyn) and later applied to the Public School Employees' Retirement Board to count her years at those organizations toward her retirement benefits. She wanted credit for service time that would increase her eventual pension. **What the Court Decided** The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court sided with the Retirement Board and rejected Thorpe's request. The court found that because Thorpe had worked for not-for-profit corporations rather than governmental school employers, she was not eligible to purchase the additional retirement credit under the law. The ruling was final. **Why This Matters** This case clarifies that retirement credit programs for public school employees only cover work at government-run schools—not at private or not-for-profit organizations, even if they're education-related. Workers considering moves between different types of employers should understand that switching from a non-profit to a public school system may not let them count prior service toward their pension.