YORK — Plans for how the York County School Board is going to cut $1.74 million from its proposed 2014 budget are taking shape, with the board eyeing a reduction of six teachers and a switch to a cheaper health insurance plan.
The School Board fleshed out how it would make the cuts during a work session on Wednesday. The board is cutting its $124 million budget plan after the York County Board of Supervisors decided to appropriate $1.17 million in new funding for schools rather than the $2.9 million the School Board requested.
York schools Superintendent Eric Williams laid out three scenarios that tied the number of teachers cut with different health insurance savings options. The options cut 5-11 teachers while passing on a 17 percent or 20 percent increase in health insurance premiums to employees or changing to York County's health insurance plan, which is cheaper and avoids an increase in employee premiums.
All of the scenarios included passing on an increase in dental insurance premiums to employees and reducing a state-mandated raise for employees associated with the Virginia Retirement System from 4 percent to 2 percent.
All of the School Board members favored the scenario that didn't include passing on additional health insurance premiums to employees, which avoided affecting their take home pay. School Board member Cindy Kirschke didn't like the idea of higher premiums eating into the 2 percent pay raise for employees that's included in the budget. It is the first pay raise for employees in nearly five years.
School Board Chairwoman Barbara Haywood initially favored passing on the 20 percent increase in premiums because that's what the school division's employee benefits committee preferred to keep the current health insurance plan. Haywood said she changed her mind about the cheaper plan because it would keep health insurance more affordable for all school employees.
Changing to the county's health insurance plan will raise co-pays $5-$15. The total out-of-pocket maximums will increase between $500 and $1,000.
School employees can comment on the proposed budget cuts during the School Board's meeting on May 20. The board is scheduled to vote on the cuts on May 22.
