OCPS currently contributes up to $10,555 per employee toward healthcare coverage and plans to increase that amount to $11,611 next year, according to district officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vazquez\u00a0added\u00a0that, because OCPS is\u00a0self-insured,\u00a0maintaining\u00a0the existing employee health plan without changes would demand\u00a0an\u00a0additional\u00a0$145 million over the next two years\u00a0on top of the\u00a0roughly $240 million\u00a0the district already contributes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars to offset rising health care costs, but the reality is that our current plan cannot be sustained,\u00a0even with $240 million in district contributions,\u201d Vazquez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
District leaders also discussed ongoing negotiations with employee unions. OCPS declared impasse in April after what officials described as extended negotiations with the Classroom Teachers Association and Orange School Bus Association. The district characterized the move as a procedural step under Florida law rather than a breakdown in talks.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be\u00a0clear,\u00a0this was not an adversarial step,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cIt\u2019s a responsible and necessary process under Florida law to keep moving forward as deadlines approach related to health care decisions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without an agreement, the district\u00a0could be required\u00a0to spend as much as $20 million per month to\u00a0maintain\u00a0its current healthcare plan, according to Vazquez. She said that level of spending would leave less money available for teacher raises, classroom\u00a0support\u00a0and student programs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The district and unions are scheduled to meet with a magistrate July 9-10 as part of the impasse process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs said OCPS is also grappling with broader funding challenges despite receiving a slight increase in state education funding this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cost of educating students is rising faster than the revenue available to support them,\u201d Jacobs said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jacobs and other board members highlighted the importance of the district\u2019s one-mill property tax referendum, which will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot\u00a0for renewal. The voter-approved tax has been in place for more than 15 years and currently funds approximately 2,000 positions, including teachers,\u00a0counselors\u00a0and other school employees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt helps support 2,000 positions and a 16% increase in employee compensation over three years,\u201d Jacobs said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
School Board Member Melissa Byrd<\/a>, representing District\u00a07,\u00a0which\u00a0includes the Apopka area,\u00a0said\u00a0roughly 90%\u00a0of the revenue generated by the referendum supports compensation for teachers and educational support staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI would also like to emphasize the health care costs that are quickly rising,\u201d Byrd said. \u201cIgnoring these pressures is not an option. Doing nothing only makes the problem worse and will cost us money available for raises.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n District officials said they remain focused on protecting classroom instruction and employee benefits while developing a long-term strategy to address\u00a0enrollment declines, rising costs and future financial challenges<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.png\")
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