For Columbus City Schools employees, the potential cost increase depends in part on how it is measured. District projections put increases as high as $550 per person per month, depending on the plan, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Columbus Education Association president John Coneglio said the increase could be per paycheck and, on that basis, exceed $1,000 per month. Employees could otherwise face higher premiums or reduced coverage if the district and union do not reach an agreement.
Columbus City Schools says thousands of employees will face significant health care cost increases if the district and the Columbus Education Association do not reach an agreement by Wednesday's deadline, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The union, which represents 4,500 members, is pushing back hard against the district's framing of the crisis. Columbus Education Association president John Coneglio said Columbus school employees will pay significantly higher health care premiums or accept reduced coverage if the district and union do not come to terms.
A Disputed $40 Million Deal With Aon
One source of disagreement is a district audit concerning Aon, the insurance and benefits firm that handled the district’s plan. NBC4 reported that the audit found as much as $40 million in overspending tied to what it characterized as an allegedly bad deal with Aon. Columbus City Schools disputes that account, saying the Aon-related expenses were not lost or misspent and that reserve funds covered the costs charged to health care plans. The district also says health care costs are rising significantly nationally and in Columbus, separate from the Aon dispute, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Coneglio disputes the district’s account of the Aon-related expenses. He said the district created the fiasco and is trying to avoid responsibility, arguing that union members should pay for what they use, but not for what he characterizes as district mismanagement of health care. The Columbus Education Association filed a grievance in late August, saying it seeks to protect educators from the financial consequences of the Aon deal, as noted by Columbus Education Association. The union has also called on the district to take legal action against Aon and recover the taxpayer dollars it believes were lost.
A historical figure from the state audit
The Ohio Auditor of State’s fiscal 2023 audit reported a $14,487,000 liability for unpaid employee health-care claims as of June 30, 2023. That historical liability is separate from the current dispute; the audit figure alone does not show how benefit expenditures have changed over several years or how they compare with the district’s budget, according to the Ohio Auditor of State.
Union Wants More Time, District Says Clock Is Ticking
The immediate scheduling dispute is over open enrollment, which is set to begin October 5. The Columbus Education Association wants the district to delay enrollment to allow more time for negotiations, NBC4 WCMH-TV reported NBC4 WCMH-TV. The district says Wednesday’s meeting is the union’s last chance to make insurance-plan changes and provide employees with information before enrollment. It says changes made after Wednesday will not affect the higher rates scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.
The district said it had tried to reach a solution since March and, as of September 22, said the union had not acted on a solution of its own, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The district says it is the union’s responsibility to propose a way to address the increased costs and avoid surcharges. Coneglio says the district has not cooperated on plan changes or the union’s demands, and has not provided financial data the union requested.
What's at Stake for Educators
Coneglio framed the dispute in terms of its consequences for people working in Columbus classrooms, saying the district must take care of the people who take care of children in order to make academic gains. With open enrollment just weeks away and Wednesday’s deadline looming, employees are waiting to see whether the district and union can reach an agreement before the new year’s rates take effect.
