Advertisement
The board approved a new insurance plan Tuesday evening that will increase its health and dental costs by about 11.7 percent. The decision to renew its deal with provider HealthPartners will cost the district an estimated $4.7 million in 2009, a nearly $500,000 increase from 2008.
Despite the increase, district finance director Jeff Seeley said the district’s rate hike is less than for many other businesses, and called the costs pretty good news, all things considered. A new high-deductible plan option the district began offering this year did not save it much money in 2008, but may in the future.
“What that’s going to do is control our costs much better,” Seeley said.
Superintendent Paul Durand criticized the way Minnesota funds its schools, as state aid has failed to keep pace with escalating salaries and benefits, or even inflation.
“If we are going to be fiscally responsible, ultimately there is going to have to be changes at the state level,” he said.
Board members will push for one possible change in St. Paul during the next legislative session. Kelly Herold and Stacey Mounce-Arnold, board representatives to the state Legislature, will lobby lawmakers to change transportation policies for school districts. The district is asking that the state pick up part of public schools’ cost to bus students to charter schools.
“That would be a fairly significant improvement,” Durand said.
Nolan Rosenkrans may be reached (507) 453-3519 or at nolan.rosenkrans@lee.net.
