How Milton schools saved a bundle - of your money

Patrick McIlheran

Bernie Nikolay should be happy. His school district - he's the superintendent in Milton - had a good November.

The girls swim team won the state title, a first for Milton girls athletics. And an arbitrator said the district could switch health coverage away from the insurer owned by the teachers union. That'll save the district as much as a million bucks a year.

For a district with a $33 million budget, that's cheery. For the rest of the state, it means a tide may have turned.

It could mean the end to the costly market dominance of WEA Trust, the health insurer owned by the Wisconsin Education Association Council. Just under two-thirds of Wisconsin districts use WEA Trust, a puzzling preference since its coverage is so costly.

Districts that buy WEA Trust plans average $1,665 a month for family premiums, according to their state association, while those choosing other carriers average $1,466. The difference is greatest where taxpayers cover the whole premium.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 3, 2010 1:43 AM
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