ORLANDO, Fla. — Thousands of teachers in Orange County are waiting to hear what a mediator will say about their pay and healthcare for the upcoming school year. The teachers union and school district are deadlocked in contract talks and hope a special magistrate can resolve their differences.
Special Magistrate James Mastriani listened to 14 hours of arguments Thursday and Friday from district and union attorneys. He says that both sides can submit more briefings over the next three weeks, and after that he’ll make his recommendation for a new contract.
Leaders for Orange County Public Schools say a 23% increase in the district’s healthcare costs just this year shows how costs are skyrocketing. The district wants to raise premiums and deductibles for more than 12,000 teachers and 7,000 support staff for the coming school year to help balance its healthcare budget.
District spokesperson Scott Howat says the district is offering an “employees only” plan with a zero-dollar deductible.
“That plan is a narrow network plan. It does involve AdventHealth professionals. We also offer services through People One, and many of those services are at zero cost,” Howat said.
Sarah Garcia has been a teacher with Orange County for four years, enrolled in the district’s family plan. She says the proposed deductible for the new year is crushing.
“We barely make ends meet,” Garcia said. “So now I’m going to have to pay $6,000 before I can have any affordable care. It’s unacceptable.”
Right now, Garcia is covering her daughter under the district plan, but not her husband to save money. Garcia may have to remove her daughter from the district’s proposed family plan for the new school year.
“To know that now I’m going to have to maybe not even have my daughter even on my coverage is absolutely insane,” Garcia said.
Clinton McCracken is president of the teachers union. He says high housing costs combined with insurance hikes could force many teachers to switch careers.
“They are terrified looking at this and they are looking for other jobs to try to make ends meet,” McCracken said. “They will not be able to afford this insurance.”
District leaders say over the last six years they have transferred a total of $280 million into their trust fund that pays employees’ medical bills to keep the account solvent.
They say even if their proposals for the new school year go into effect, they will have to pump another $36 million into that fund to prevent a deficit.
“Right now, we just want to make sure that our employees have access to a quality health insurance plan,” Howat said.
If either the district or teachers union rejects the magistrate’s recommendation, there will be a mini-trial where attorneys for both sides make arguments before the Orange County Public Schools board. The board would then have the final say on the teachers’ new contract.
Under the district’s proposal, for the first time this year, teachers would have to pay their entire annual deductible before they can begin paying copays for doctor visits. That would mean paying thousands of dollars a year for most teachers before they get to copays.