Amy Hetzner:

As it continues to negotiate contracts with eight employee groups, the School Board has approved health insurance changes and modest salary increases that are expected to reduce overall compensation costs for non-unionized employees this school year.
Other employees will hopefully take note, School Board President William Baumgart said.
“This was a small group of people in comparison to the total district,” Baumgart said of the approximately 70 administrators, secretaries and technical staff covered by the settlement. “We feel if we’re going to put emphasis on saving money in employee costs, we’re going to have to do it at all levels. And this will be the first one.”
Under the one-year settlement the School Board approved last week, non-unionized employees will pay higher deductibles, office co-payments and drug costs for their health care. They also will continue to pay 5% of their health insurance premiums.
Salaries will increase by 2% this school year for the pool, except for assistant principals who will receive a 1% pay boost. Overall, the changes are expected to reduce costs for covered employees by 0.63%, or $31,647, less than what the district spent last school year, said Erik Kass, executive director of business services for the district.

Locally, health care costs [RSS] have been a topic of much discussion and controversy.