USD 253 Emporia school board members got some good news as part of their investigation into sharply higher insurance rates.
The board held a special meeting Wednesday in large part to discuss how best to proceed after a 31-percent spike in monthly premiums was announced during last week’s regular meeting, largely due to increased use. Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Rob Scheib says the final rates will be higher than last year, but they won’t be as high as discussed last week.
Scheib tells KVOE News Blue Cross Blue Shield is accepting part of the overage, which is reducing the increase. Insurance representatives told board members they appreciated the ongoing partnership and were willing to work together to reduce the burden.
This essentially crystallizes the rates for the coming year. Scheib says employees who have already enrolled and want to change their plans can do so but they have a limited time. People who initially decided against having insurance but are reconsidering that option can also make arrangements.
Following that discussion, board members went into the latest information from the COVID-19 Committee. Member Jeremy Dorsey says the committee is working on ways to get more children to school, specifically at Emporia Middle School and Emporia High.
Dorsey says it’s better to have as many students in a school setting as possible for their learning and their social-emotional growth. The committee’s thought is in targeting early November for possibly expanding the student population, whether it’s under the current Phase 3 model of on-site cohort group of students needing specialized support attending daily and 50 percent of the remaining students in buildings twice a week or some derivative.
