Discussions regarding health and dental insurance rates for USD 253 employees appears to be a topic that will see heavy discussion from the Board of Education in the weeks to come.
The reason being is that the district saw a 31 percent increase in insurance rates this year according to Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Rob Scheib. Scheib delivered the news to the Board of Education during its regular meeting Wednesday evening.
According to Scheib, the rate increase equivalates to an additional $143 cost to employees per month. Scheib says the increase is due to a rise in overall usage over the past year.
Scheib says employees can shift their coverage to a less expensive plan, however, a change in policy could lead to additional out of pocket costs when employees utilize the insurance. During Wednesday’s meeting, board members inquired into the possibility of going out to bid for a new insurance provider.
Scheib says it is an option, however, it comes with two main concerns.
The district is utilizing the services of consultant Bob Charlesworth of Charlesworth Consulting on the matter and is planning to hold a special session to gain more insight possibly next week with more details to be announced at a later time.
In other business Wednesday evening the board approved two significant items as part of the Building for the Future initiative. First, the board unanimously approved a hazardous materials abatement for Walnut Elementary for the removal of asbestos.
The total cost of the project comes out to $22,408 and does not include any unforeseen work that may develop. The work will be conducted by Remco and will take place during winter break.
Secondly, the board also approved the testing of construction materials for work on the new early childhood learning center. The total cost of the work, to be provided by Kaw Valley Engineering Inc., is $26,275 which is just over $8,700 under budget.
The next regular session for the USD 253 Board is scheduled for Oct. 28 at 7 pm inside the Mary Herbert Education Center and will be viewable on the district’s website at USD 253.org.
