By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board plans to discuss a change in its insurance provider again on Monday, but Superintendent John Thissen said he did not know Friday if there will be anything to report.
The district had hoped to leave the state-run health plan administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield in favor of Aetna.
Blue Cross Blue Shield had raised the district premiums by $1.4 million over the last two years. The district is having difficulty getting bids from new providers because under the state plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield does not have to provide claims histories.
If the district leaves the state plan, it can’t go back for seven years. It could contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield through an independent contractor.
The custodians’ and teachers’ unions sent a letter to the district on Aug. 28 saying if the district left Blue Cross Blue Shield, the unions would sue. The custodians’ contract specifically calls for the district to provide the sate plan.
The two groups said they are concerned about the service Aetna may provide and the district’s inability to get back in the state plan.
Members of the school board expressed frustration at their Aug. 28 meeting, arguing the new plan would not only save the district money and give it more flexibility in the future, but the new plan had fewer out-of-pocket expenses for employees and covered more providers.
The custodians’ bargaining unit has not yet met with the district since the last school board meeting. They have had contact with a representative from the Gallagher group, a consultant that was hired to evaluate the district’s insurance plan. The group conducted a survey this summer of all the district staff about the change in insurance providers.
“It was a nice opportunity to present information and to have a Q&A session. We look forward to future discussions and assume that they will follow this coming Monday evening’s school board meeting,” said Esau Freeman of the custodians’ union.
The teachers left the bargaining table with a tentative agreement on Aug. 28. That agreement, which left the language on the insurance plan intact, was approved by the teachers on Wednesday. Kathy Rome of the teachers’ union said she hoped the school board would accept the current contract and realize that the insurance plan needed to be bargained.
Rusty Lindsay, director of buildings and grounds, will give a report on an LED lighting project at the high school. Most of the bulbs there have been replaced, and the district is hoping to reap energy savings from the replacement project.
Shanna Dinkel, assistant superintendent, will discuss the 2016-17 science assessment scores. USD 489’s median scores were above those of the state for all the grades tested—grades five, eight and 11.
The school board will also:
• Hear a report on KASB policy recommendations
• Hear a report on the Hays High School HVAC system
• Discuss the district’s capital outlay project plan