Columbia County school employees are bracing for insurance premium increases ranging from 62% to 200%, a jump so steep that staff say it could push veteran teachers and support workers out of the classroom entirely. The Columbia County School Board is expected to weigh its options at a meeting on Oct. 27, after weeks of mounting pressure from teachers, substitutes and union representatives who say the current proposals are unworkable.
The scale of the increase first surfaced in rate discussions reported by wcjb.com, which found that employees will have to choose between plans with increases ranging from 62% to 200% — a range that lines up with figures cited by association president Jenee Delaney, who said some employees face premium increases of 60%, 80% or 200% depending on their plan and coverage level, according to News4JAX. Employees were initially told to expect an insurance-rate increase of around 21% for 2027, the station reported, but the plans now on the table go far beyond that early estimate.
Under one proposed employee-only plan, the monthly premium would rise from $17 to $51 — nearly tripling — compared with what would have been just over $20 a month under the initially discussed 21% increase, per the same outlet. Some family insurance plans, meanwhile, would see monthly premiums climb by hundreds of dollars.
A Contribution Frozen for 15 Years
Part of what's fueling the frustration, according to wcjb.com, is that the school board hasn't increased its contribution toward employee medical coverage for at least 15 years — even as premiums have crept upward in the background and now threaten to spike all at once. Board members decided to consider making changes during the Oct. 27 meeting, the station reported, after hearing from employees concerned about the proposed rates.
Columbia County schools are already experiencing staffing shortages, with missing teachers and substitutes covering classes, per the News4JAX report. Mickey Garrett said insurance costs could cause employees to leave because they cannot both earn a living and pay for coverage, warning that the district might be looking at a loss of employees if the rates go through as proposed.
Union Says the Problem Extends Beyond Columbia County
Union representatives told the station that the insurance issue affects the entire state, not just Columbia County. Delaney called on Florida's state government to address insurance costs for teachers, pointing out that the state provides insurance assistance for law enforcement and firefighters — an option she argued should extend to educators as well. Columbia County teachers hope the board will challenge the proposed rates and find a solution that preserves both their paychecks and their health coverage.
The pressure in Columbia County mirrors a statewide squeeze. About a third of Florida's 67 school districts have joined the Florida Educator Health Trust to rein in rising health costs, according to WUSF, with about 65,000 public school employees now insured through the trust and districts reporting more than $7.8 million in savings in the first quarter of 2026 alone. The trust had grown to 23 participating districts, including Polk and Brevard counties, by August, with a goal of reaching 30 districts by the end of the year.
Other Districts Have Tried Different Fixes
Hendry County took a different route, moving to a self-insured model after its superintendent said fully insured premiums had been rising 6% to 20% annually. The district saved more than $3 million in its first two years under that approach, the superintendent said.
Orange County Public Schools is facing an even messier fight. The district rejected a state magistrate's compromise on teacher health-insurance costs this week, after the magistrate recommended capping premium increases at 20% — a figure OCPS said could cost the district $105.1 million and force significant budget cuts and personnel reductions, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The teachers union countered that OCPS's own proposal would amount to a pay cut for the district's more than 13,000 teachers, while OCPS has said leaving contributions unchanged would leave it facing a $145 million shortfall.
The insurance debate in Columbia County has also drawn attention to concerns beyond the district, with union representatives saying the issue affects the entire state.
For now, the immediate question in Columbia County rests with the school board's Oct. 27 meeting, where members are expected to weigh whether — and how — to respond to the proposed rate hikes that have left teachers and staff bracing for a hit to their paychecks.
