At the Nichols Career Center, instructors work closely with students on a variety of subjects including welding, health sciences, shop, and even graphic design.

Many instructors left their professional jobs to become teachers at the Career Center. Some said one of the perks of working there was not paying Social Security taxes, but now they may have to.

Those who are nearing retirement age said they might have to change their plans because Social Security benefits are less than the state system provides.

"So that's going to impact our take-home pay, and it's also going to affect the end result on how many years you can put in before you retire," Career Center Teacher Cheryl Wolf said.

Advocates for the current plan said the change in benefits may have a negative impact on hiring instructors as well.

"But now if they're getting lower retirement benefits while paying more in to retirement, they will actually be getting less pay to do that job," Chief Financial Officer for Jefferson City Public Schools Jason Hoffman said.

Officials said students could also be affected if this decision goes through.

"I'm worried about what the impact is going to be on public education in the state of Missouri because of our ability to recruit and also to retain some really good school employees," Roger Kurtz of the Missouri Association of School Administration said.

Kurtz said employees shouldn't make any hasty decisions on their teaching future, but some instructors said they feel insulted to not be considered teachers by the Social Security Administration's decision.

"It upsets me, it upsets me a lot. I'm with the kids all day long, I teach them. Whether it be lecture, hands-on activities, testing, I do the same thing that any other classroom teacher does, and I've dedicated nineteen years to this," Wolf said.

The Social Security Administration in Kansas City said it is trying to identify positions that may now be subject to FICA withholding.

The new taxing plan goes into effect next July.