Teachers and support staff will pay more for healthcare
PETOSKEY, MI -- In our continuing series "Schools in Crisis," Petoskey teachers and support staff have finalized a contract deal, but with it, they'll share more of the healthcare costs.
Last year, Petoskey teachers worked without a contract, but Wednesday night, the Petoskey Board of Education and the union came to terms with concessions made.
Petoskey School Superintendent John Scholten says it costs the district $22,000 a year to cover a teacher and their family's health care costs. With Michigan schools pinching all of their pennies, he knew there had to be a change.
“I'm pleased, I’m proud, and I’m happy our folks could come together, work together, to help with the challenge," said Scholten.
Negotiations between teacher and support staff unions and the district have been going on for more than a year, and Scholten says the number one priority was to figure out how to cut down on health care costs and they have.
The teachers will still have Messa Insurance coverage, but will join the high deductable plan, which means they'll pay $500 for single coverage and $1,000 for a family deductable.
They’ll have a $20 co-pay when they visit a doctor.
They’ll pay 10 percent toward the premium.
And they'll have to pick up prescription costs beyond their coverage.
“It's the starting and the moving in the direction of cost-sharing, and hoping with that, so it's a big concession, and it was a tough pill to swallow for some, so I think we've found a way now to, you know, somewhat ease our people into it," said Scholten.
Scholten says this move will save the district $550,000. We tried to get a hold of the Petoskey Teacher's Association and the Michigan Education Association in Lansing and they didn't return our call.
But the teachers will receive a little more money on their pay stubs next year. As part of the agreement, the teachers will get a raise of .15 percent.
This year, Petoskey didn't lay-off any staff, but Scholten says if there isn't economic growth and more money coming into the schools in the next couple of years, more cuts will have to be made.
