(December 5, 2014) JACKSON Tenn — On Thursday the Jackson Madison County School Board. agenda items included discussions on insurance, technology, and school calendar.
Janis Carroll with the Jackson Madison County Education Association continues to address the board speaking on behalf of association members who are upset because of increases in insurance premiums, in some cases significant increases in the rates employees pay for premiums despite the fact that statewide rates did not increase. On Thursday Carroll told the board, describing documents and information released by the school Central Office, “If your system made health insurance premium decisions based on the false assumptions outlined here, it is clear the economic damage to the employees and the system was unnecessary. Certified personnel should have seen no increase in premiums, and classified personnel should have been able to work with Blue Cross/Blue Shield or accessed the exchange to see if there were more economically viable options for insurance.
Vicky Schwartz, JMC Central Office, told the board insurance savings were budget issues to increase fund balance. “We minimized our risk and aligned to what the Affordable Care Act told us to do,” Schwartz said.
Board member David Clifft asked Schwartz the cost to the system for insurance in 2014 and projections for 2015 costs. Schwartz said the system would spend $5, 947,273.00 dollars in 2014 and $5, 641, 707.00 in 2015 for a savings to the system of $305, 565.00.
“I don’t feel good knowing that the school system is saving dollars on the backs of some of the employees,” Clifft said.
Jim Campbell said the board had two concerns, first to address the requirements of the Affordable Care Act and also to be able to budget for an anticipated increase in the insurance roll for the coming year. Campbell said the Central Office staff would look for opportunities to mitigate higher costs incurred by some employees.
