Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

3 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2015

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

The components of net periodic pension and postretirement health benefit costs were as follows:

	Pension Benefits
	(in thousands)
	For the Three Months Ended October 31,
	2015			2014
Service cost	$	489		$	432
Interest cost	483			468
Expected return on plan assets	(477		)	(470		)
Amortization of:
Prior service costs	2			2
Other actuarial loss	287			150
Net periodic benefit cost	$	784		$	582
	Postretirement Health Benefits
	(in thousands)
	For the Three Months Ended October 31,
	2015			2014
Service cost	$	22		$	33
Interest cost	20			27
Amortization of:
Prior service costs	(2		)	(2		)
Other actuarial loss	—			9
Net periodic benefit cost	$	40		$	67

The postretirement health plan is an unfunded plan. We pay insurance premiums and claims from our assets.

The pension plan is funded based upon actuarially determined contributions that take into account the amount deductible for income tax purposes, the normal cost and the minimum contribution required and the maximum contribution allowed under applicable regulations.We contributed $284,000 to our pension plan during the first quarter of fiscal 2016. We estimate contributions will be $994,000 for the remainder of fiscal 2016. See Item 3. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" for a discussion of the potential impact of financial market fluctuations on pension plan assets and future funding contributions.

Assumptions used in the previous calculations were as follows:

	Pension Benefits				Postretirement Health Benefits
	For the Three Months Ended October 31,
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost	4.22	%	4.28	%	3.51	%	3.87	%
Rate of increase in compensation levels	3.50	%	3.50	%	—		—
Long-term expected rate of return on assets	7.50	%	7.50	%	—		—

The medical cost trend assumption for postretirement health benefits was 7.5%. The graded trend rate is expected to decrease to an ultimate rate of 4.0% in fiscal 2035.