Teachers from the Columbus Education Association packed Tuesday night's school board meeting and offered public comments, accusing district leaders of not addressing the financial burden a new health insurance plan could have on teachers.
The union’s protest comes one week after members passed a no-confidence vote involving district leadership. Regina Fuentes is one of the teachers who addressed the board, proclaiming, "How can we focus on meeting the needs of our students when we are forced to worry about whether we will be able to meet the needs of our own families?"
Columbus City Schools and the Columbus Education Association teachers' union reached an agreement in September that would increase health insurance premiums by 8%. CEA President John Coneglio told WOSU Columbus City Schools teachers were given a bad choice, and that adding deductibles will more than double costs from $2,500 to $6,000 under the deal. He said some teachers will avoid using health insurance, which could lead to a higher rate of teacher absences.
Coneglio blames the increased costs to the district underfunding its insurance plan by more than $20 million this year, largely caused by a consulting company. The district denies this, citing rising healthcare costs nationwide.
CCS Board President Antoinette Miranda was heckled by the crowd while reading her statement, saying a lot of misinformation about the plan is circulating.
"Our independent expert originally estimated that claims costs MIGHT go as much as $40M beyond our budget over two years. This number was publicly interpreted as being lost, stolen or misspent. To be clear, no money has been lost, stolen, or misspent."
Miranda said the district is evaluating potential legal action against Aon, noting any litigation would take time to resolve and resolution of a case would likely be several years in the future and would do nothing to address health care costs in 2027.
