O. RETIREMENT PLANS

The Company has defined contribution profit‑sharing plans covering substantially all of its full-time U.S. employees. Participants may voluntarily contribute a percentage of compensation, but not in excess of the maximum allowed under the Internal Revenue Code. The plans provide for a matching contribution by the Company. The Company's total contributions charged to expense under the plans were $1.2 million, $1.2 million and $1.0 million for the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

A supplementary non‑qualified, non‑funded retirement plan for six former executives is also maintained. Plan benefits are based on the executive's average total compensation during the three highest compensation years of employment. This unfunded supplemental retirement plan is not subject to the minimum funding requirements of ERISA. The Company has purchased life insurance policies on certain former executives named in this supplemental retirement plan to provide funding for this liability.

As of August 31, 2015 and 2014, the funded status of the supplemental retirement plan was recorded in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company utilizes an August 31 measurement date for plan obligations related to the supplemental retirement plan. As this is an unfunded retirement plan, the funded status is equal to the benefit obligation.

The funded status of the plan and the net amount recognized in the accompanying balance sheets as of August 31 is as follows:


	August 31,
$ in thousands	2015		2014
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	7,157	$	6,881
Interest cost		275		314
Actuarial loss		251		519
Benefits paid		(557)		(557)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	7,126	$	7,157

Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:


	August 31,
$ in thousands	2015		2014
Other current liabilities	$	557	$	557
Pension benefit liabilities		6,569		6,600
Net amount recognized	$	7,126	$	7,157

The before-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss consists of:

For the years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company assumed a discount rate of 4.10 percent and 4.00 percent, respectively, for the determination of the liability. The assumptions used to determine benefit obligations and costs are selected based on current and expected market conditions. The discount rate is based on a hypothetical portfolio of long-term corporate bonds with cash flows approximating the timing of expected benefit payments.

For the years ended August 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company assumed a discount rate of 4.00 percent, 4.75 percent and 3.75 percent, respectively, for the determination of the net periodic benefit cost. The components of the net periodic benefit cost for the supplemental retirement plan are as follows:


	For the years ended August 31,
$ in thousands	2015		2014		2013
Interest cost	$	275	$	314	$	266
Net amortization and deferral		209		181		212
Total	$	484	$	495	$	478

The estimated actuarial loss for the supplemental retirement plan that will be amortized, on a pre-tax basis, from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost during fiscal 2016 will be $0.2 million.

The Company’s future annual contributions to the supplemental retirement plan will be equal to expected net benefit payments since the plan is unfunded. The following net benefit payments are expected to be paid:


Fiscal Years	$ in thousands
2016	$	557
2017		546
2018		536
2019		523
2020		513
Thereafter		4,451
	$	7,126

August 31,

$ in thousands

Net actuarial loss