SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Northside ISD voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a 3-cent increase to the district\u2019s maintenance and operations tax rate per $100 of property valuation.<\/p>\n
If approved, the increase would help fund a 2% pay raise for all district employees. The measure, known as a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, is on the ballot alongside a separate bond package.<\/p>\n
But teachers at Stevens High School told KSAT the raise would not offset rising health insurance premiums. They said they also were hit without warning with fewer coverage options and changes to deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket maximums.<\/p>\n
\u201cExtremely scary,\u201d said Maria Rangcapan, a visual arts teacher at Stevens. \u201cIt was completely blindsided.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rangcapan said her family\u2019s monthly premium rose from about $250 to more than $900, forcing her to drop her husband from the plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be an everyday fear,\u201d Rangcapan said. \u201cLike, hey, don\u2019t get in an accident. Make sure you don\u2019t get really sick, stay healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n
KSAT spoke with three Northside ISD teachers who have worked in the district for 14 to 23 years. They said employees in past years have typically had up to six health plan options.<\/p>\n
Victor Moldovan, a U.S. history teacher at Stevens, said teachers\u2019 concerns prompted him to start a petition asking the Northside ISD school board to review the benefits package and provide more transparency.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were obviously angered and distressed, worried,\u201d Moldovan said. \u201cSo I decided to get a petition going around the schools because I was hearing teachers\u2019 concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moldovan said some employees on higher-tier plans are seeing sharp increases.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re on the highest plan, around $1,100,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a quarter of our paycheck as a teacher. If you\u2019re an hourly employee, that\u2019s more than half your paycheck.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement, Northside ISD said it is adjusting employee premium rates for the 2027 plan year after holding premiums flat for eight consecutive years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis adjustment reflects significant nationwide medical inflation, escalating provider costs, and broader health insurance market shifts \u2014 including a more widespread move to HMO options,\u201d the district said. \u201cThroughout this planning process, the district\u2019s priority was protecting employee choice and maintaining access to high-quality care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stevens teachers plan to hold a peaceful protest in front of the school after classes on Monday and are encouraging employees from other campuses to join.<\/p>\n
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