November 5, 2026 Special Board Meeting

At its November 5, 2026 special meeting, the Douglas County School District Board considered changes to the district’s self-funded employee health plan for 2027. The board chose to retain the self-funded plan rather than move to a fully insured option: Hometown Health’s quote was approximately 11% higher, excluded dental and vision coverage, and would require the district to cover outstanding claims from the existing plan during the transition. The discussion focused on addressing an estimated $278,000 plan deficit, aligning dependent premiums more fairly with expected use, and supporting the plan’s long-term sustainability. Trustees also discussed a recovery target of approximately $1.6 million in reserves and the effect of past transfers from the general fund to support the health plan.

The board unanimously approved the Health Advisory Committee’s plan-design recommendations, effective January 1, 2027, with dependent premiums set at 90% of the selected tier ratios. The motion specified monthly premiums of $855 for employee-and-spouse coverage and $513 for employee-and-one-child coverage; the district continues to cover the employee-only tier. The approved changes also included higher deductibles and out-of-pocket limits and adjustments to coinsurance, office-visit, and pharmacy benefits. The projected total savings from the benefit changes was $985,318. The board also approved not subsidizing dependent coverage for nonemployees, including retirees and swim-center employees.