Hudson board delays vote on employee benefit renewal after staff and public push for more review

Hudson School District trustees on April 14 voted to table action on the proposed 2025–26 employee benefit renewal and move the issue to a work session after multiple staff members and community speakers urged the board to allow more review and input before changing plan design or employee costs.

The board’s tabling motion came after district staff told trustees the district’s current plan year is running at 128% of expected claims and faces a projected $2.2 million deficit; under HealthPartners’ renewal estimate trustees were shown a possible 25% premium increase for next year that would add roughly $2.5 million to the district’s cost. Administrators and consultants presented a package of cost-control options that included a higher employee copay for certain weight‑loss medications, a new restricted “Achieve” network option with lower premiums, and higher coinsurance for some specialty drugs.

Administrators said the district’s budget had originally assumed about an $800,000 increase in premiums; the 25% renewal projection would raise the district’s exposure by roughly $1.7 million above that planning assumption. The administration also…