Falls school district officials OK bump for employee health insurance contributions

Menomonee Falls - The Menomonee Falls School Board approved an increase in employee contributions for health insurance Monday at a special meeting of the board. The provision, expected to help close a gap in revenues for the upcoming budget cycle, was agreed upon by the teacher union earlier this month.

The plan will move employee contributions up 3.5 percent for the cheapest plan, leaving the district to pay 88.5 percent of the cost.

Estimates on the deficit haven't been released from the district, but officials said March's budget hearing would be an appropriate time to do so. The savings from this plan depends on how teachers respond to the increase.

Some may choose to move to a spouse's plan, while others may move from the single plan to a family plan.

In the contract, signed last May, the district's insurance program will become self-funding in 2013, which is expected to save the district more money as will the reduction in other post-employment benefits.

That means the savings from the increase will be for the 2012-13 school year and then a new system may change the employee contribution.