District moves forward with health care plan

School board members are set to approve increasing the district's monthly share for health benefits by $55 for each non-instructional employee while teacher negotiations are still ongoing.

The cost would increase from $441.50 to $496.50 per month.

During the 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, public meeting at the board office, board members will consider the 2010 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida contract renewal for administrators, technical, supervisory and professional employees - including board members.

That means instead of contributing $220.75 per paycheck, the district would pay $248.25 - a $27.50 increase - for each full-time employee.

That means employees could expect to pay between 16.6 to 23.7 percent more per paycheck depending on their chosen coverage plan.

The district's contribution for teachers will remain at the current $441.50 per month for each employee until a new contract is agreed upon.

Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers' Association, said the group is holding out in hopes district officials will agree to an alternate proposal that he says would help employees with families included in their coverage.

Essentially, Vitalo said his plan would cost the district about $134,000 more, including a slight increase for single-coverage employees and a cut for those with families.

However, he said the key to the union's proposal is that employees with families would pay significantly less - nothing for themselves while being charged for their families to be added.

Vitalo said employees with single coverage used to pay nothing. Although economic times have changed, he said he believes single-coverage employees don't mind paying slightly more to help others trying to make ends meet.

"We're all victims of the health insurance racket and now we're all turning on each other," Vitalo said. "We all understand what the district is facing with the budget in this economy, but I think this is a question of how we can help those who are impacted the most."

Vitalo said he hopes to have an agreement with the district before the holidays. If not, he said the only other option is to, "go to impasse," when either a third party listens to both sides of the negotiation and makes a decision or both sides present arguments to the school board for them to make a decision.

If teachers negotiate a better deal then it would be applied district-wide to all full-time employees.