(a) Membership in the System shall be a condition of employment for all teachers. A person shall not join the System as a Group A member. A person shall not join the system as a Group B member after June 30, 1990. A service shall not be included in the creditable service of any member unless the member was a member at the time the service was performed or is entitled to credit under section 1936 or 1944 of this title or was transferred under 3 V.S.A. § 495.

(b), (c) [Repealed.]

(d) Should any Group A or Group C member who has less than five years of creditable service in any period of seven consecutive years after last becoming a member be absent from service more than six years, or should a member withdraw the member's accumulated contributions or die or retire under the provisions of this chapter, the member shall thereupon cease to be a member. However, the membership of any teacher granted leave of absence by the member's school board for the purpose of professional study or for the acceptance of an exchange position shall be continued during such leave of absence subject to Board rules relating thereto, if the member does not withdraw the member's contributions, if any, and such member shall be considered in the service of the State for the purposes of the System during such leave of absence. In the case of leaves of absence granted by a member's school board for purposes other than for professional study or for an exchange position, service credit shall be granted upon a contribution by the member or the member's school board. Such contribution shall be made at the member's current rate multiplied by the member's earnable compensation for the year preceding the leave of absence.

(e) [Repealed.]  (Amended 1961, No. 163; 1961, No. 223, eff. July 18, 1961; 1963, No. 110, § 5, eff. May 28, 1963; 1965, No. 84, § 1; 1969, No. 62; 1969, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1971, No. 201 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1973, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1977, No. 53, § 3, eff. April 23, 1977; 1981, No. 41, § 24; 1981, No. 189 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 22, 1982; 1989, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1991, No. 64, § 7; 2013, No. 22, § 11; 2017, No. 165 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)