Board approves $2,500 one-time bonus for insurance‑eligible staff as district moves to single HSA plan
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Summary
Sycamore CUSD 427 approved a $2,500 one-time 'valued service bonus' for insurance‑eligible employees tied to a transition to a single HSA‑eligible health plan in January 2026. District staff projected annual savings and described distributing bonuses over four years of continued employment.
The Sycamore CUSD 427 Board of Education approved a one‑time $2,500 valued service bonus for each insurance‑eligible employee as the district consolidates to a single HSA‑eligible health plan.
District presenters described the change in plan design and projected savings. Finance staff said the plan design change is expected to generate district savings (presented as roughly $1,300,000 in the years discussed) and multi‑year savings presented in the meeting were described on the order of several million dollars over multiple years if projected trends hold. The district said many staff who moved to the HSA plan will also realize lower total annual costs (premiums combined with out‑of‑pocket expenses) and the board proposed returning a portion of projected savings to staff via the bonus.
Key features: the bonus is $2,500 per eligible employee, to be distributed over four years and contingent on continued employment. Presenters said roughly 120 employees were expected to migrate to the HSA plan (figure discussed during the meeting). Staff gave example savings ranges for families and single coverage described in the presentation; the district characterized the overall package as a way to share savings with employees while reducing long‑term benefit costs for the district.
Board discussion probed the mechanics and fairness of the change, asking whether coverage changed (presenters said coverage remains a PPO and the HSA plan preserves the core coverage) and how savings were estimated. Nicole, the finance presenter, said coverage remained a PPO, that premium costs are lower under the HSA option and that district savings were being used in part to fund the bonus. The MOUs relating to distribution and eligibility were presented and the board approved the MOUs and bonus by roll call vote.
Next steps: HR and Business Services will implement the plan conversion and execute the MOUs; bonus distributions will be scheduled over a four‑year period as specified.
Sources: benefits presentation and the board roll‑call vote during the meeting.