Teachers and parents urge Ann Arbor board to halt steep health‑insurance cost hits as district offers new plan options

Dozens of teachers, parents and union representatives told the Ann Arbor Board of Education during public comment that proposed health insurance premium increases and years of frozen pay are driving educators out of the district.

"When I budget every single dollar I have about $30 left for emergencies," said Heidi Doherty, a third‑year middle‑school teacher at Tappan, who told trustees her take‑home pay is about $1,268 per paycheck and that a higher premium would push her into the negative. "Please consider giving teachers a raise and/or contributing more towards health care."

The union and many individual speakers cited the district's composite premium structure — in which single employees can pay the same composite rate as families — and described sharp increases proposed by carriers. The AAEA representative said renewals would raise out‑of‑pocket costs for teachers enrolled in the priority health HMO by $3,440 a year, bringing the HMO total to $10,308 annually; the priority PPO…