Kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers in Georgia will get a $2,000 bonus. The Base index for a retiring member is defined as the six-month period ending on the July 1 or January 1 following the retirees date of retirement. More:Ohio teachers could see retirement benefits improved after years of austerity cuts, It marks the first improvements to benefits for Ohio's second-largest public pension system after several years of austerity measures.From 2013 to 2017, the pension fund cut theannual cost of living adjustments until it finally eliminated them altogether., Teacher Julie Sellers and retiree Elizabeth Jones said in a written, joint statement that "A one-time COLA is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what STRS retirees need and deserve. //