By Crystal Hayduk
Chelsea High School’s media center’s chairs were filled with teachers to support a speedy resolution to contract negotiations as the Chelsea District Board of Education began their meeting Monday evening.
Teachers have been working without a contract since July 1.
Six teachers communicated their concerns at the two opportunities for public input, as well as one community member.
Several teachers told personal stories that illustrated serious problems with the current health insurance provider. In an emotional report of the events of June and July in which his wife nearly died, teacher Brian Boos said that the promise of a seamless transition of health benefits between the old and the new plan were not kept.
“While my wife was in the intensive care unit hooked up to a blood transfusion, a nurse case-manager called me into the hall to tell me that our benefits weren’t loaded,” he said.
Boos reported that the insurance company was unreachable by either the University of Michigan Hospital or Chelsea School District for three full days.
“In this day and age with the level of communication that is possible, this is unacceptable.” Boos went on to say that they missed the window of opportunity to begin a treatment plan that had been recommended by every physician.
“Use my family as a reason to change. Do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Vocal music director Steven Hinz, a 25-year employee with the district, began his remarks with praise for the administrative team, who have been personally supportive of his family “… during the trying times of a child with serious medical conditions.”
But, Hinz told the board that the health plan is a system with “serious flaws.”
He explained, “Most recently, my oldest daughter launched a treatment plan for epilepsy and the journey has been wrought with disastrous miscommunication and delays … It is impossible to manage the care of a sick family member when your insurance company continually fails you.”
Amy Wagoner described problems with prescription coverage, which have resulted in several weeks without important medication and confusing co-pay requirements, continuing to the present time – four months into the new prescription plan, provided by EHIM.
Wagoner also spoke about her 3-year-old daughter, who had to be taken to Mott at the University of Michigan by ambulance two weeks ago. Her first thoughts were for her child’s condition, but her second thoughts were related to the cost of treating the condition. “I don’t think that any parent should have to worry about the cost of a true emergency … We need health insurance that we (and our families) can count on,” she said.
Jenine (Chip) Grover suggested to the board that the district’s goal of “maintaining fiscal responsibility” might be reframed as “managing our resources wisely.” She added that the district’s best resources are its teachers, who are not doing the same job they did previously when the teaching model involved whole group instruction.
Teachers now spend increasingly long hours away from their families outside of the school day to manage individualized instruction plans in all subjects, in addition to communicating with students’ families as needed.
“These are sacrifices Chelsea teachers and our families make because we feel we are making an important investment in the future,” Grover said. She requested that the board support the district’s educators with a contract that cares for them.
Community member Jennifer Kundak supported the teachers, reminding the board of the power of their stories and that these events could happen to anyone. She implored the board to “… think hard and with kindness and compassion.”
Superintendent Andy Ingall presented information about per pupil funding and impact on the budget during his board update on the topic of fiscal responsibility. In summary, the total per pupil revenue is $7,367, a net loss of $22 per student from last year.
With 30 additional students in the district, there is a total gain of over $167,000. However, the preliminary budget still shows a deficit of $578,000.
A look at the history of the district’s fund equity account shows that it has dropped from nearly $6.5 million in 2007-08 (26.8 percent of expenditures) to a little over $4.6 million in 2013-14 (18.6 percent of expenditures).
Ingall’s report stated, “Chelsea Schools have not had a balanced budget since 2010-11, spending an average of $291,000 from fund equity for each of the past four years.
“Experts recommend maintaining a fund equity of 15-20 percent and, when necessary, a deficit no larger than 2-3 percent of total expenditures.”
In other board news:
The board unanimously approved a limited membership of five seats in the Washtenaw International High School (WIHI) for the 2015-16 school year.
The next board meeting will be on Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington Street Education Center.
