The Columbus Education Association (CEA) filed a grievance with Columbus City Schools on August 21 over the underfunding of the district’s healthcare fund.
The district previously contracted with consulting company Aon-Hewitt to determine the amounts the district and employees would need to pay into the fund. According to the district, an independent review in 2025 found that the fund was underfunded by $22 million, and would be underfunded by $7 to $18 million in 2026. Aon-Hewitt’s contract was terminated in March.
In a statement released Monday, the union claims the district told the Joint Insurance Committee that it would need a 21% increase in funding to maintain current coverage levels. The CEA then said the district gave it two weeks to decide to either raise insurance premiums, cut coverage or a combination of the two.
“In the face of that choice, there is only one possible answer from our union to the district: No,” said John Coneglio, President of the CEA. “Rather than holding the multibillion-dollar corporation that created this crisis accountable, the district has decided that each and every one of their employees should foot the bill for this disaster.”
The CEA’s statement noted the healthcare fund’s underfunding comes from “Aon’s predatory practices and a district administrator’s incompetence.” The statement also said the district hired an independent forensic auditor that flagged issues regarding Aon-Hewitt, but did not inform CEA members on the Joint Insurance Committee of the issues for several months.
By filing the grievance, the CEA hopes to protect CSS staff from “bearing the entire weight of the financial consequences of decisions and failures they did not create.”
