Kenosha school board weighs retiree‑health overhaul and handbook changes for AST and technical staff

Kenosha Unified School District officials outlined a shortlist of options on post‑employment health benefits and a package of handbook changes that would alter benefits and contract language for administrative, supervisory and technical (AST) employees.

The district’s superintendent, Dr. Weiss, told the board the discussion was informational and that Milliman would be engaged to produce actuarial pricing that would take two to three months and cost about $10,000–$15,000. He presented three paths: keep the status quo; retain the current benefit structure but change eligibility thresholds; or replace guaranteed retiree health coverage with a fixed contribution model (for example, funds into an HRA) that employees could use to purchase coverage in retirement.

Why this matters: Board members and employees said retiree health liabilities are driving costs. Consultant testimony cited by the district said retirees use benefits at a much higher rate than active employees, producing materially higher loss ratios. Dr. Weiss said the district’s OPEB timeline assumes grandfathering current eligible employees and applying new rules to hires after the 2025–26 fiscal year (employees hired after 06/30/2026 would be subject to any new rules).

Cost drivers and timeline: A Brown & Brown Insurance consultant summarized utilization and loss‑ratio data for the board, saying retirees “are using the benefits substantially more than the active employees are,” and that separating retiree pricing from active coverage would tend to lower active premiums while raising retiree costs. Dr. Weiss said the district currently sets aside roughly 3% of total salaries toward the trust and that the trust funding level is about 92% (the consultant and staff said industry averages are closer to 80%). The board was told Milliman’s actuarial work would produce the cost estimates the district needs before choosing a path.

Handbook changes tied to AST group: The superintendent also presented proposed handbook revisions for the 2026–27 handbook that would affect vacation accrual, holiday rules (including a historical spring‑break concession), tuition reimbursement (AST currently receives much higher reimbursement than the general handbook), sick‑leave payout (the recommendation was to grandfather current employees with a 50% payout and not offer that payout to new hires), and certain personal‑leave carve‑outs. Staff said removing AST language from the AST agreement would require contract changes and likely reclassification of some technical (T) positions to EEOC categories.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members asked for more granular, public materials breaking out current benefits by employee group and age/years‑of‑service so the public can see what each group receives. Mr. Tierney said he wants the next agenda to include a clear breakdown of benefit thresholds by group. Dr. Weiss said staff would post detailed group comparisons and that the board will be asked at the December 9 meeting to select which option to pursue so Milliman can be engaged for precise costing. No formal action was taken at this meeting; the presentation was discussion only.

What’s next: The administration plans to bring a decision point to the board on December 9, after receiving actuarial cost estimates. If the board elects to remove AST language from the AST agreement, staff said new contracts or mutual agreement changes would be required and, if necessary, non‑renewals would be handled via a closed session process.