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Somers board asks state to let school districts create health-insurance reserve funds
Summary
Trustees unanimously approved a resolution requesting that New York state authorize all school districts to establish health-insurance reserve funds to smooth volatile premium spikes and protect programs; the board will send the resolution to state officials including the governor and NYSED.
The Somers Central School District Board of Education on March 17 adopted a resolution urging Governor Kathy Hochul, the New York State Education Department and the state legislature to amend law to allow all school districts to create and fund health-insurance reserve funds.
The resolution, read into the record and then debated, argues that under current state law school districts lack the same reserve authority available to many municipal entities and that a statutory change would let districts smooth large premium swings without immediate program cuts. "We can't establish a reserve account for cost of health care while towns and villages can," one trustee said during discussion, summarizing the rationale for asking Albany to change the law.
Board members said similar resolutions have been passed by other districts recently, and that the authority would help districts prepare for unpredictable double-digit premium increases without undermining instructional programs. The board passed the resolution on a voice vote and directed that copies be transmitted to the named state officials.
The resolution does not change local authority today; it is a formal request to state leadership to modify statute language to allow statewide reserve access for school districts.
Next steps: district officials will transmit the approved resolution to the governor's office, the State Education Department and the legislature as listed in the resolution.
