Palm Beach County School Board Faces Healthcare Cost Shortfall
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Meeting Type:
School Board
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Meeting Date:
06/20/2024
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Recording Published:
06/20/2024
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Duration:
105 Minutes
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State:
Florida
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County:
Palm Beach County
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Towns:
Acacia Villas, Atlantis, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes, Cabana Colony, Canal Point, Cloud Lake, Delray Beach, Glen Ridge, Golf, Greenacres, Gulf Stream, Gun Club Estates, Haverhill, Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Juno Beach, Juno Ridge, Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Kenwood Estates, Lake Belvedere Estates, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Harbor, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Limestone Creek, Loxahatchee Groves, Manalapan, Mangonia Park, North Palm Beach, Ocean Ridge, Pahokee, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Shores, Palm Springs, Pine Air, Plantation Mobile Home Park, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Royal Palm Estates, San Castle, Schall Circle, Seminole Manor, South Bay, South Palm Beach, Stacey Street, Tequesta, The Acreage, Watergate, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Westgate, Westlake
- Meeting Overview:
In a recent Palm Beach County School Board meeting, a focus was placed on the negotiation of healthcare costs between the district and employees for the upcoming years, with discussions revealing a projected funding deficit and the need for increased employee contributions. The district’s proposal for a 50/50 split in healthcare costs was met with a counterproposal from the Coalition.
The district presented updated claims data from May, indicating that the healthcare plan’s performance did not meet expectations, with claims totaling 21.7 million dollars. An actuary projected a necessary increase to 52.5 million dollars, which would not restore the state-required reserve levels. Consequently, the district recommended a minimum employee contribution increase of 232 dollars per month, aiming to generate a 55 million dollar increase, to be split equally between the district and employees.
During negotiations, the district emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement on healthcare costs before making salary increase decisions. In contrast, the Coalition stressed the importance of considering base wage increases for their members prior to agreeing to substantial healthcare cost hikes. Both parties recognized the need to continue negotiations, with the district proposing potential meeting dates in July and early August. The Coalition outlined their constraints due to scheduled events and the necessity to consult their members before finalizing their stance. The last counteroffer made during the meeting was 53 dollars per paycheck from the Coalition, with the district willing to match it, maintaining the 50/50 split.
Aside from healthcare negotiations, the meeting also delved into the new online enrollment process for K-12 students in the Glades region, designed to aid families with registration and including language support. Additionally, the board discussed religious exemptions for immunizations, providing a form through the health department for those who seek it.
The board addressed the results of the Florida Department of Education’s general resilience survey, which measured attributes such as empathy, grit, and responsibility among students. Variations in resilience scores among different student subgroups were noted, with some scoring lower than others. Board members raised concerns about the survey’s methodology, the lack of specific data for certain groups like students with disabilities, and the exclusion of some demographic groups from the survey analysis. The relevance of the survey results in informing school environments and community efforts was debated.
In the context of student health and safety, the board reviewed the health behavior section of the survey, which covered topics from injury prevention to substance abuse. Questions were raised about the accuracy of the data, the honesty of student responses, and the need for disaggregated data to better understand and represent student experiences.
The meeting also featured a presentation by Julie AO, who oversees the district’s Welcome Center, highlighting its role in assisting families with school registration and course selection, and the success of their back-to-school event serving over 575 families.
Lastly, the board approved the fiscal year 2024 meeting schedule after some discussion and clarification on the process, emphasizing the importance of understanding the calendar’s details.
Michael J. Burke
School Board Officials:
Barbara McQuinn, Alexandria Ayala, Karen Brill, Erica Whitfield, Frank A. Barbieri, Jr., Esq. (Board Attorney), Marcia Andrews, Edwin Ferguson, Esq. (Board Attorney)
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Meeting Type:
School Board
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Meeting Date:
06/20/2024
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Recording Published:
06/20/2024
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Duration:
105 Minutes
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Notability Score:
Routine
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State:
Florida
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County:
Palm Beach County
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Towns:
Acacia Villas, Atlantis, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes, Cabana Colony, Canal Point, Cloud Lake, Delray Beach, Glen Ridge, Golf, Greenacres, Gulf Stream, Gun Club Estates, Haverhill, Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Juno Beach, Juno Ridge, Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Kenwood Estates, Lake Belvedere Estates, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Harbor, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Limestone Creek, Loxahatchee Groves, Manalapan, Mangonia Park, North Palm Beach, Ocean Ridge, Pahokee, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Shores, Palm Springs, Pine Air, Plantation Mobile Home Park, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Royal Palm Estates, San Castle, Schall Circle, Seminole Manor, South Bay, South Palm Beach, Stacey Street, Tequesta, The Acreage, Watergate, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Westgate, Westlake
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