Several Manchester School District employees used the public forum to ask the School Committee to reconsider a recent change in health‑plan coverage that they say will remove GLP‑1 medications when prescribed for weight‑loss purposes. Speakers said the change was announced by email after open enrollment and that the removal will impose large out‑of‑pocket costs, disrupt ongoing treatment and raise privacy concerns. No committee vote on insurance coverage took place at the meeting.

The employees said the district’s insurer, Anthem, and district benefits staff notified covered employees by email that GLP‑1 medications would not be covered for weight loss beginning with the upcoming plan year. Chelsea Adrianne, the student member, introduced public forum but the speakers who addressed benefits were district employees and teachers. “That feels like a bait and switch,” said Allison Mangel, a longtime Manchester School District employee who said the notice came after open enrollment closed and cast “a shadow over my entire summer.”

The speakers described clinical and practical impacts. Shannon Gagnon, a district employee who said she has lost more than 75 pounds on GLP‑1 medication, told the committee the treatment improved her energy, attendance and classroom engagement. “As educators, our health directly affects our performance and student success,” Gagnon said. Mary Hartigan Demers told the committee that the change felt “fat shaming and very discriminatory” and that many employees had exhausted other weight‑loss options before being prescribed medication by physicians. Jamie Huddleston said some employees were forced to disclose medical treatment to district staff and asked whether the district had shared that information without consent.

Speakers asked the committee to delay implementation or allow current users to continue through the end of their contracts. “Honor the commitment through the end of our current contract,” Mangel said. Others asked the district to offer a supplemental coverage option or a phased notice so staff could plan financially and medically.

The only formal action recorded related to public comments was a motion to accept the public forum comments “under advisement” and to receive and file any written documentation; that motion was moved by Committee Member Solis and seconded by Committee Member Arderopoulos and carried. The transcript contains no board vote reversing or modifying insurance coverage during the meeting. Committee members and administration acknowledged the concerns but did not announce an immediate change.

Why it matters: District employees said access to GLP‑1 medications affects staff well‑being, classroom continuity and potentially retention. Speakers also raised privacy and procedural questions about how individual medical information was handled after the email notice.

Background and next steps: Speakers said the coverage change was announced by email after open enrollment. They requested that the district either restore coverage for current users, delay implementation until the next open‑enrollment cycle, or offer a supplemental option. The committee accepted public comments for consideration; no timeline for administrative follow‑up was recorded in the meeting minutes provided.