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Avon residents question health‑insurance and special‑education cost increases in proposed budget
Summary
Residents asked whether shifting health-insurance contributions or altering contracts could reduce rising personnel-benefits costs in the FY2025–26 request; officials said such changes are subject to collective-bargaining and actuarial analysis and that the district uses HSA-plan incentives to contain costs.
At the April 7 public hearing, several residents focused on the budget’s health-insurance and special-education drivers.
Resident Neil Rudolph asked specifically about roughly $837,000 cited for health-insurance increases and whether employee contribution shares could be raised. Chair Lowry and Business Manager Susan Russo replied that contribution levels are typically set through contract negotiations and compared to regional averages. "We do that as a part of our negotiations when we work with every one of our union groups," Russo said, adding the district uses HSA incentives and actuarial advice to manage costs.
Officials described the town and school negotiation dynamics, noting that some changes would require bargaining: "Those things are hard-fought negotiations," Lowry said. The hearing materials list benefits and salaries as major components of the Board of Education budget increase, with benefits cited at $995,260 in the slide deck.
