With increases to public school funding seemingly frozen by the state’s leadership as the result of a fight between the legislature and the Governor over vouchers, public school districts are being forced to find creative ways to balance their budgets, including discovering new and innovative cost cutting measures.
The largest expenses for school districts are personnel costs, generally accounting for over 80% of districts’ budgets. Schools often find it difficult to cut personnel and still deliver quality instruction for an increasingly diverse community of students.
The second largest expense is the related costs associated with healthcare insurance. While most districts are enrolled in the Teacher Retirement System’s program, called TRS ActiveCare, some districts have decided to opt out under a 2021 state law that allows them to leave the system as long as they stay out for a minimum of five years.
These districts are often searching for creative ways to reduce insurance costs while still maintaining adequate benefits for their employees. Now, little known guidelines under the federal law may provide them with a break.
Read the entire article here….
You can watch this 2 minute video (below) which summarizes what this fed eral program can do for your district.
CEF can provide a 20-minute presentation by Chas Pierce at your convenience. If you would like to learn more contact Dr. Charles Luke at charlesluke43@gmail.com or by phone at 940-768- 8594..
