Orange County Public Schools rejected on Tuesday a compromise on health insurance costs meant to break a months-long contract dispute between the district and its teachers union, saying that a special magistrate’s proposal would cost millions of dollars and would “result in significant budget cuts and reduction in personnel.”
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The school district announced its decision as the Orange County School Board plans to meet Wednesday morning in an impasse hearing to weigh arguments from both district administrators and union leaders on the future of health insurance benefits for teachers.
On Friday, a state-appointed magistrate said the OCPS proposal for teacher health insurance would “create undue financial hardship” and recommended a compromise.
The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, the local union, accepted the magistrate’s decision, saying it was not everything it wanted but better than what the district offered.
OCPS, in a statement released Tuesday, said that recommendation could cost the district $105.1 million and does not fix problems with the district’s self-insurance fund. The fund, in fact, would pay out more in benefits than it takes in.
“Implementation of the Special Magistrate’s recommendation would result in significant budget cuts and reduction in personnel,” the district’s statement read.
After hearing arguments Wednesday in a hearing slated to start at 9:30 a.m., the school board will decide on a health insurance, and salary, plan for teachers.
The school board is not a neutral arbitrator in the contract dispute, however. It set the budget that provides parameters for staff negotiations with the union, and it hired the superintendent, whose staff bargains with union leaders. But sometimes, as happened in 2021, board members side at least partially with teachers and alter staff proposals.
In April, OCPS declared impasse in contract negotiations with the teachers union over rising health insurance costs. The district said that teachers needed to pay more for coverage and that without changes, the district would face a $145 million budget shortfall.
The union denounced the proposal as far too burdensome for employees and their families and said it would amount to a pay cut for OCPS’ more than 13,000 teachers.
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The special magistrate — appointed to evaluate proposals from both sides and issue non-binding recommendations — suggested a middle-ground resolution, proposing some hikes to employee insurance costs but not the steeper ones OCPS suggested.
The magistrate proposed capping health insurance premium increases at 20% and setting deductibles lower than the district suggested. OCPS proposed deductibles of $6,000 or $4,000 for family coverage and $3,000 or $2,000 for employees, depending on the insurance plan they suggested.
The magistrate recommended family deductibles of $1,800 or $1,500 for families and $900 or $750 for individuals.
The ruling also suggested a compromise between the district and union’s proposals on wage increases, recommending 2.5% increase for teachers rated “effective” teachers and 3.5% for “highly effective” teachers.
The district proposed raises of 1.98% and 2.65%, depending on rating, while the union asked for 3% and 4% respectively.
OCPS currently operates a self-insured employee benefits trust and contributes part of its budget to provide health insurance benefits to employees. The district blames rising healthcare costs nationwide for its proposed premium and deductible price hikes, claiming that without hiking employee contributions, the district’s insurance plans wouldn’t be financially sustainable.
Health insurance cost increases compound the district’s current financial struggles, driven largely by declining enrollment. In the last two years, OCPS has lost more than 12,000 students and closed seven school campuses. School districts are funded by the state on a per-pupil basis, meaning fewer students equates to less money for Orange County schools.
Because of declining enrollment, OCPS has slashed jobs and department budgets to save money. Last spring, OCPS cut 200 district-level positions. At the start of this school year, the district cut nearly 100 first-year teachers from classrooms.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.