Resident urges board to address inequities in married-employee benefits under district health plan
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
A resident and district employee, Rebecca Shenzel, told the board she is concerned married employees cannot participate in the district's Family Advantage Health Plan and asked the board to explore options to provide equitable compensation for married couples employed by the district.
At the May 13 meeting Rebecca Shenzel of Saratoga Drive spoke during the public comment period to urge the Janesville School District Board of Education to address what she called inequitable benefits for married employees.
Shenzel said the district adopted the Family Advantage Health Plan (FAHP) in February 2022, but that married couples who both work for the district are not eligible to participate. She said the district employs more than 45 married couples and argued the current arrangement results in “zero compensation” for those couples compared with other staff.
Shenzel asked the board to explore options that would make compensation and benefits more equitable for married employees and said she welcomed the opportunity to discuss possible solutions.
During subsequent agenda discussion, board members noted the structure of committee assignments and suggested the district could elevate benefits discussions. A board member suggested a temporary or standing benefits committee could be used to review the health plan and related compensation; the board indicated it would continue discussing committee structure and benefits during future meetings. No formal action was taken at the May 13 meeting on employee benefits.
The speaker identified herself as a Janesville resident and provided her address during public comment.