The ICSD Board of Education (BoE) meetings in November were some of the most intense and significant of the school year, with a sizeable audience at the November 27 meeting. The topics discussed and policies voted upon have the potential to have a significant effect on students across the district, as well as the fiscal future of the district.
The November 27 meeting was one of the more contentious in recent memory. In the public comments period, former IHS English teacher Eileen Bach was the first of several speakers to talk about the effects of a change in health care coverage for certain ICSD-payroll retirees. Two years ago, the Board made a decision to switch the healthcare plans of retirees from their former supplier, Blue Cross Blue Shield, to The Hartford. This move, made for fiscal reasons, was initially not a forced transition for all retirees—they were given the option to stay on their former plans for an increased premium, and over 60 of the 600-plus ICSD pensioners receiving health insurance decided to stay with this service.
That said, earlier this the year, the BoE proposed a policy mandating that the retirees who held out during the change switch to The Hartford’s plan. During Ms. Bach’s comments, she noted that many retirees who switched to The Harford’s plan have had problems with customer service. Another former IHS teacher noted that the district’s Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage for retirees was a primary factor in his decision to continue teaching in the ICSD despite its non-competitive salaries. The comments period became very emotional—one teacher prefaced her remarks by noting that she was “speaking to [the board’s] integrity.” This teacher noted that many former teachers were willing to pay extra in copays and premiums to maintain their healthcare, and were miffed by the by their coverage being suddenly switched.
About an hour after the comments period, the board had a chance to speak about the issue before voting on the measure to move forward with the plan to switch the remaining retirees to The Hartford’s plan. Board Member Bradley Grainger was first to speak, and he was very blunt in defending the measure—he emphasized the board’s responsibility to taxpayers, and noted that The Hartford costs less even to retirees than the previous plan while providing all of the required benefits. Board Member Moira Lang, a retired ICSD teacher who switched to The Hartford’s plan two years ago, spoke about her positive experiences on the new plan, and noted that she would support the measure as a result of her fiduciary responsibility to the board. She cited a drastic figure—by switching the roughly 60 retirees to The Hartford’s plan, the district will save nearly 100 thousand dollars a month.
In the end, this measure passed with six votes for and two abstentions. Both abstaining voters cited the board’s missteps that led up to this decision, and weighed the financial benefits against the violation of trust that this switch represents.
Another significant agenda item in the November 27th meeting was a presentation on secondary-level curriculum development. IHS Associate Principal Carlan Gray gave the presentation, a part of her goal to see curriculum changes at IHS. This year, as a part of this initiative, the district has given teachers funding to redesign a current course or to create a new one in middle or high schools in the district. IHS will be offering these new courses beginning in the 2019-20 school year, and next year, will offer funding again for new course redesigns. One of the proposed courses is Principles of Robotics, which would offer students the chance to learn robotics without participating in an afterschool activity.
Finally, when discussing subcommittee assignments, the Board announced that it would be hosting a series of public meetings about the district’s upcoming capital funds project. The project, in which the district will sell bonds worth nearly $100 million, will fund a series of infrastructure improvements around the district. Students are encouraged to attend to have their voice heard about changes needed in district buildings, and the meetings will take place on December 13 at the Southside Community Center and on Jan 17 at Boynton Middle School from 5:30-6:30 PM.
It’s certain that the topics discussed at the November 27th meeting will continue to impact board meetings over the next few months. While the Board believes it has the legal right to switch the plans of the retirees, if any discrepancies are found in the fine print of the contracts, the district may face litigation. Similarly, the effects of the curriculum development plans will be seen very soon in the school district.