A proposed health insurance overhaul at Orange County Public Schools in Florida could raise out-of-pocket medical costs by as much as 6.5 times the current amount for teachers and staff.
Here's what to know
According to WFTV, Orange County Public Schools is weighing benefit changes that would drastically push family deductibles far higher than existing levels.
On the SureFit plan, the district would raise the family deductible from $600 to $4,000, while on the OA Plus Hybrid Plan it would increase from $800 to $6,000 — a 650% jump.
Under the district's offer, family coverage on the SureFit plan would cost $588 per paycheck instead of $266. The Classroom Teachers Association's counterproposal asked for $293 instead.
Clinton McCracken, president of the Classroom Teachers Association, told WFTV that the district's wages should be taken into consideration with insurance changes since both are part of the same negotiations.
"When you put them together, it would mean an average pay cut of 7% for teachers who are already struggling to get by," McCracken said.
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More background
To explain the proposed changes, the district has pointed to a nearly $145 million shortfall in the trust that covers employee health insurance, citing rising health care costs and declining enrollment.
The union said shifting that burden onto teachers would deepen an already difficult situation. McCracken also said the dispute is about more than higher premiums. For families already juggling rent, groceries, child care, and medical bills, the plan could add to the financial strain.
Under what he described as the district's "deductible first" approach, employees could face much higher upfront medical costs before coverage begins.
What's being done?
The matter was put before a special magistrate, who will consider the positions from both sides and issue recommendations. After that, the Orange County School Board would make the final decision.
The union's counter-proposal would set the OA Plus Hybrid family deductible at $1,600 instead of $6,000 and the SureFit family deductible at $1,200 instead of $4,000. Those would still be increases, but much smaller ones than the district has proposed.
"Let's start treating our teachers and their union as a partner in this conversation," McCracken said. "That is not hyperbole. That is the absolute truth. Some of them, more than that, they can't afford what the district has put on the table."
Where can I learn more?
School districts elsewhere dealing with rising costs are taking creative measures to reduce spending.
• A school district used solar panels over a landfill to free up money for salaries.
• Pennsylvania school districts are set to save millions after switching to solar power.
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