The Martin County School Board signaled consensus on a plan to protect current retirees’ health insurance benefits while staff gathers more data on possible policy changes.

Don Calderon, the district’s director of risk management and employee benefits, presented options the superintendent recommended after workshops in September 2024 and January 2025. Calderon told the board that “Florida statute 112.0801 requires that school districts offer the same medical insurance to retirees that they offer to active employees,” and emphasized staff were focused on funding and budget options, not removing coverage.

The issue drew a long public-comment period. Multiple retirees and longtime employees testified that the district’s retiree-health subsidy was a key recruitment and retention tool. “We have earned what we were contractually promised,” said Missy Campbell, a 34‑year district teacher who retired in recent years. Virginia Skinner, another retiree, told the board she had planned retirement decisions around the benefit and called any reduction a financial hardship.

Calderon walked the board through three employee buckets used in the analysis: retirees under 65 who are not Medicare‑eligible; employees currently in the DROP program; and retirees 65 or older (Medicare‑eligible). He said the superintendent’s recommendation for the first group (under‑65 retirees) is “option A,” which would continue board contributions as they are through June 30, 2030. For retirees 65 and older the staff recommendation was to reduce the district subsidy from $5 per year of service per month (30‑year max) to $2.50 per year of service per month effective July 1, 2025, with contributions ending July 1, 2030.

Calderon gave the board several district cost estimates tied to the options. He said the district’s group plan currently covers 117 retirees; under the recommended approach continuing the under‑65 contributions through June 30, 2030 (option A) would cost roughly $1.8 million and yield estimated savings of about $339,000 when compared to other options the district modeled. For Medicare‑aged retirees the presentation projected roughly $1.1 million in subsidy payments for the current year, based on the district’s recent data.

Board members debated next steps and data gaps, especially about active employees who are in the Florida Retirement System investment plan (not DROP) and could retire at uncertain times. Mrs. Powers said she wanted assurance for people already retired and those currently in DROP, while also asking staff to return with complete data on all active employees’ ages, years of service and plan enrollment so the board could make a holistic decision about future hires and active employees.

After extended discussion the board directed staff to draft policy language that would explicitly “grandfather” people who are already retired and those whose retirement dates fall on or before June 30, 2025, so they will continue to receive the existing benefit. The board asked staff and the attorney to prepare an advertising/first‑read packet for the board’s February meeting and target a final read and adoption in March, noting the district must meet an FRS upload deadline in early June to make a July 1 effective date for any changes that affect current retirees. Superintendent Main confirmed staff can return with revised language and updated financial scenarios.

No formal roll‑call vote on a final policy change was taken at the workshop. Board members said they wanted to provide immediate assurance to retirees in the audience while preserving time to analyze and model effects on active employees and the district’s budget before making permanent changes.

Next steps: staff will (1) prepare revised policy language reflecting the board’s direction to grandfather retirees on or before June 30, 2025; (2) update the financial run‑outs for multiple scenarios (including potential one‑time transition incentives and alternate subsidy levels); and (3) present the updated proposal for an advertised first read in February and a final read in March so the district can meet applicable administrative deadlines.

Why it matters: Several speakers said the subsidy was the main reason they stayed in Martin County Schools despite lower salaries than neighboring districts, and retirees said cuts would cause immediate hardship. District staff and board members said they must balance that promise against projected future costs and uncertainty about when active employees — particularly investment‑plan participants — might retire.