Kingsville Independent School District trustees were informed at their October 27 workshop that the district has saved over $3 million on their group health insurance plan and their costs are now fixed at $1.6 million per year for three years.
Inquiring minds want to know more. Did the plan go from self-funding to fully-insured or a level funded plan? Is the $1.6 million number the district’s contribution only? Or is the $1.6 million total annual plan cost including claims, reserves and retention?
October 29, 2026
To: Public Information Officer
Kingsville Independent School District
207 N. 3rd Street
Kingsville, Texas 78363-4401
VIA EMAIL: ncastro@kingsvilleisd.com
Re: Request for Public Information — Kingsville ISD Health Insurance Costs, ESC-100 CARES Plan, and Reported Cost Reduction
Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, I request copies of public records relating to Kingsville Independent School District’s employee health insurance program, including the transition from Aetna to the ESC-100 CARES Plan, associated contracts and expenditures, and the reported reduction in health insurance costs from approximately $5 million to $1.6 million.
Please provide the following seven categories of records:
1. October 20, 2026 Board Meeting Materials
All presentations, attachments, financial schedules, memoranda, reports, and other supporting documentation provided to or considered by the Board of Trustees concerning employee health insurance, including district contributions, employee premiums, spousal surcharges, employer-paid benefits, health savings account contributions, and any reported reduction in health insurance costs from approximately $5 million to $1.6 million.
2. ESC-100 CARES Plan Contracts and Financial Terms
The executed contract between Kingsville ISD and ESC-100 CARES, including all amendments, exhibits, rate guarantees, administrative fee schedules, funding arrangements, stop-loss provisions, and other documents defining the District’s financial obligations under the arrangement.
3. Aetna Termination and Runout Liability Records
All records relating to the termination or transition from the District’s prior Aetna health insurance arrangement, including termination agreements, terminal-liability calculations, runout claim estimates, reserve balances, final settlement statements, and records of claims paid or remaining payable after termination.
4. Actuarial, Underwriting, and Cost Comparison Analyses
All actuarial studies, underwriting analyses, financial projections, proposals, comparative cost analyses, and supporting calculations used to evaluate or select the ESC-100 CARES Plan, including the baseline Aetna costs, projected savings, underlying assumptions, and any comparison of projected costs with actual results.
5. Annual Health Plan Financial Records for 2024–2026
Annual or year-to-date financial reports, accounting schedules, and other records showing health plan expenditures and funding for calendar years 2024, 2025, and 2026, to the extent available, including:
- Employer and employee contributions;
- Medical and prescription drug claims paid and incurred;
- Stop-loss premiums and reimbursements;
- Third-party administrator, broker, consultant, and other administrative fees;
- Reserves, outstanding claim liabilities, and incurred-but-not-reported claims;
- Supplemental funding or other payments related to the health plan.
Please include the applicable reporting periods and distinguish actual expenditures from budgeted or projected amounts where the records do so.
6. CARES Individual-Policy Arrangements and Related Costs
All contracts, agreements, financial schedules, policies, and administrative records concerning any CARES-related arrangement under which participants or high-cost members may obtain individual health insurance coverage, including records identifying:
- The party responsible for paying individual policy premiums;
- Any employer, plan, or other financial contributions toward such coverage;
- Administrative fees, commissions, or other charges associated with the arrangement;
- The financial assumptions used to estimate savings to the District’s health plan;
- The treatment of affected participants and associated costs in the District’s reported health insurance expenditures.
This request seeks financial and contractual records only, not individual employee medical information.
7. 2027 Renewal and Contribution Calculations
All available 2027 health insurance renewal proposals, premium and contribution calculations, funding projections, actuarial or underwriting analyses, and supporting schedules considered by the District, including the assumptions underlying proposed employer contributions, employee premiums, spousal surcharges, and any projected savings or cost increases.
Scope and Format of Request
This request seeks existing public records, including electronic records, maintained by the District or otherwise subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. It does not require the District to create new records or prepare a new analysis.
Please provide records electronically, preferably in searchable PDF, Excel, or their existing native electronic format, where available. If records are maintained by a third-party administrator, consultant, broker, or other contractor on the District’s behalf and are subject to disclosure under applicable law, please include those records as well.
Exclusion of Identifiable Employee Medical Information: This request expressly excludes identifiable employee or dependent medical information, including patient names, dates of birth, member identification numbers, diagnoses, individual claim details that identify a person, and other protected personal health information. Please redact such information as necessary and release the remaining reasonably segregable public information, including aggregate financial data and contractual terms.
Cost Notification: If the estimated cost to produce the requested records exceeds $100.00, please notify me in writing of the estimated charges and provide an itemized cost estimate before incurring charges or proceeding with production. Please do not incur costs exceeding $100.00 without my prior written approval.
If any portion of this request is denied or withheld, please identify the specific records or portions withheld, cite the applicable legal basis, and follow the procedures required by the Texas Public Information Act, including seeking an Attorney General decision when required.
If any requested records are not maintained by the District, please advise me accordingly. If the request is considered unclear or overly broad in any respect, please contact me so that I may clarify or narrow the request.
Thank you for your assistance and cooperation. I look forward to receiving the requested records.