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Union Township Board urges state action on rising school employee health-care costs
Summary
The board adopted a resolution calling on the governor and legislature for short-term relief and long-term reform to address double-digit year-over-year premium increases, citing a 31.9% January 2026 increase and nearly 74% growth over five years.
The Union Township Board of Education voted May 18 to send a resolution to Governor Mikie Sherrill and state legislative leaders urging immediate relief and longer-term reforms to address rapidly rising public school employee health-care premiums. The board cited a March 2026 Treasury Department analysis noted in the resolution and referenced a 31.9% premium increase that took effect in January 2026 and an overall nearly 74% increase over the past five years.
The resolution says those increases ‘‘far exceed inflation, state aid increases and the fiscal capacity of local communities’’ and called for both short-term relief and meaningful stakeholder engagement to pursue long-term reforms to the State Education Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) and related systems. The board directed that copies of the resolution be forwarded to the governor, state treasurer, legislative leadership and local state legislators.
Board members framed the measure as an appeal from local school districts to state leaders, saying rising premiums are consuming an increasing portion of district budgets and can force reductions in services and programs that affect students. The item was carried by roll call vote as recorded in the meeting minutes.
