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Employee Benefit Plans
9 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 
The following table sets forth components of the net periodic cost (credit) for the periods indicated under the Company’s cash balance retirement plan for its United States employees meeting certain eligibility requirements (the “U.S. Pension Plan”) and the defined benefit pension plan of Scholastic Ltd., an indirect subsidiary of Scholastic Corporation located in the United Kingdom (the “UK Pension Plan” and, together with the U.S. Pension Plan, the “Pension Plans”). Also included are the post-retirement benefits, consisting of certain healthcare and life insurance benefits provided by the Company to its eligible retired United States-based employees (the “Post-Retirement Benefits”). The Pension Plans and Post-Retirement Benefits include participants associated with both continuing operations and discontinued operations. 
 
Pension Plans
 
Post-Retirement Benefits
 
Three months ended
 
Three months ended
 
February 28,
 
February 29,
 
February 28,
 
February 29,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Components of net periodic cost (credit):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
$

 
$

 
$
0.0

 
$
0.0

Interest cost
1.1

 
1.5

 
0.2

 
0.3

Expected return on assets
(1.8
)
 
(1.9
)
 

 

Net amortization of prior service credit

 

 

 
(0.0
)
Amortization of (gain) loss
0.4

 
0.4

 
(1.0
)
 
0.7

Net periodic cost (credit)
$
(0.3
)
 
$
0.0

 
$
(0.8
)
 
$
1.0

 
Pension Plans
 
Post-Retirement Benefits
 
Nine months ended
 
Nine months ended
 
February 28,
 
February 29,
 
February 28,
 
February 29,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Components of net periodic cost (credit):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
$

 
$

 
$
0.0

 
$
0.0

Interest cost
3.3

 
4.6

 
0.8

 
1.0

Expected return on assets
(5.4
)
 
(5.8
)
 

 

Net amortization of prior service credit

 

 

 
(0.0)

Amortization of (gain) loss
1.3

 
1.2

 
0.2

 
2.1

Net periodic cost (credit)
$
(0.8
)
 
$
0.0

 
$
1.0

 
$
3.1



The Company’s funding practice with respect to the Pension Plans is to contribute on an annual basis at least the minimum amounts required by applicable laws. For the nine months ended February 28, 2017, the Company made no contribution to the U.S. Pension Plan and contributed $0.8 to the UK Pension Plan. The Company expects, based on actuarial calculations, to contribute cash of approximately $1.1 to the Pension Plans for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2017.

In the current fiscal year, the U.S. Pension Plan's funding status is sufficient to allow participants to receive "lump sum" payments at the participant's request. Under certain circumstances, such lump sum payments must be accounted for as a settlement of the related pension obligation when paid. If these requests exceed $3.2 in the current fiscal year, the Company will recognize a settlement charge related to net unrecognized pension benefit costs in respect of the lump sum benefit payments made. For the nine months ended February 28, 2017, the Company made $2.3 of lump sum benefit payments to vested plan participants.

On July 20, 2016, the Board approved the termination of the U.S. Pension Plan, in which all benefit accruals were previously frozen as of June 1, 2009. Based on the Plan’s current funded status and the frozen benefit, it was determined that the on-going costs of maintaining the Plan were growing at a greater rate than the benefit delivered to the Company’s employees and former employees. An application was filed with the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") for an advance determination as to whether the Plan meets the qualification requirements of Internal Revenue Code section 401(a). Upon approval of the IRS and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the assets of the Plan will be distributed either via a lump sum payment to each eligible active and deferred vested participant or to another qualified retirement plan established on the participant's behalf, or via an annuity contract underwritten by a highly rated insurance company. All participants currently receiving a periodic benefit will continue to receive their benefit payments without disruption. The Company expects that completion of the process for terminating the pension plan, which involves several regulatory steps and approvals, will currently take approximately 12 to 18 months.