However, some of the options come with higher costs to the district, while not increasing contributions could net the district penalties.
The overview
For an FISD employee to earn $245 in health care contributions from the district each month, they have to make at least $20.72 per hour, according to district documents.
FISD has 168 employees who earn less than $20.72 per hour, 66 of whom take health insurance.
FISD trustees will choose between four options for health insurance premium contributions:
- Option 1: No increase, which will risk the district incurring penalties if employees making under $20.72 an hour apply for marketplace coverage while stating the district’s coverage is not affordable. The district could incur a $4,160 penalty per every employee who goes to the marketplace while stating the district’s coverage is not affordable.
- Option 2: Raise salaries so all eligible employees make above $20.72 an hour, which would change the level of employee contributions. FISD Chief Financial Officer Amber Petree said this option was “very costly.”
- Option 3: Go by the poverty rate and increase the monthly contribution for a specific employee group or all groups, which would put caps on the yearly insurance premium to keep it affordable but would increase the district’s monthly contribution amount to $366. This option would cost $340,500.
- If the district chooses to provide a contribution increase to all employees, the following groups would get the following contributions:
- Auxiliary (custodial, food service, maintenance, transportation): $121 monthly increase, $366 total contribution after increase
- Paraprofessionals (aides, support staff): $121 monthly increase, $366 total contribution after increase
- Professionals: $50 monthly increase, $295 total contribution after increase
- If the district chooses to provide a contribution increase to all employees, the following groups would get the following contributions:
- Option 4: Increase contribution for all employees
- Option 4A: $35 monthly increase, $280 total contribution after increase
- Option 4B: $50 monthly increase, $295 total contribution after increase
- Option 4C: $65 monthly increase, $310 total contribution after increase
Although a decision hasn’t been set, Superintendent Thad Roher said it may be better to find a way to contribute more to teachers.
“Health care isn’t something that you see on the salary schedule, because you don’t see when you’re applying what we contribute,” Roher said at the meeting. “I see exactly where it counts on making it affordable, but [I] just want to advocate for the people who teach those kids.”
Petree said she is not trying to sway the board on a specific decision, but she said she believes if teachers don’t get a higher contribution compared to other staff members, they may be understanding due to a salary increase approved at the June 10 board meeting.
At that meeting, board members approved a minimum $2,000 increase for teachers and nonteaching professionals, and a 1% increase for all other staff members, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“I think we all agree we have to do something,” Petree said at the meeting. “I think doing more across the board is going to... go over better, but I also think that we can explain why we harped out some of these, because the teachers did get a nice salary package.”
Stay tuned
The board is expected to vote on one of the four options at its August 12 meeting, Kelsey Golz, FISD's executive director of communication, said in a July 23 email.
