SchoolsSaturday, November 14
Orange County's School Board took up the teacher health care dispute at an impasse hearing
The ORLtoday team
If you work for Orange County Public Schools, Friday's impasse hearing was about your health insurance and your raise. The School Board, acting in a special legal decision-making capacity, took up the dispute after the district rejected a special magistrate's recommendations that the union had accepted. WKMG's live blog is headlined "Orange County Public Schools OKs resolution after impasse hearing," but the post we have doesn't give the terms.
- Magistrate's proposal: premium increases capped at 20%
- Raises recommended: 2.5% effective teachers, 3.5% highly effective
- Hearing first set for Oct. 21, postponed over a 20-day wait
- Health fund losing about $20 million per month, the board says
The district's deductibles run far above the magistrate's
| Item | Magistrate | District |
|---|---|---|
| Individual deductible | $750 to $900 | $2,000 to $3,000 |
| Family deductible | $1,800 cap | Up to $6,000 |
Source: WKMG
The magistrate issued his recommendations Oct. 16, and the union accepted them Oct. 19. The district says they would add costs and could lead to budget cuts and job reductions amid declining enrollment and limited state funding. WKMG says the vote affects more than 10,000 teachers.
$105 millionin costs the district says the recommendations would add
The district says it does not have the money to implement the magistrate's recommendation.
Sources: WESH, Spectrum News 13
Sources: WESH, WKMG, Spectrum News 13