OCPS | 2026-11-13 School Board Special Impasse Hearing

The OCPS Board held a special impasse hearing on November 13, 2026 (the metadata timestamp is November 14 UTC) concerning fiscal year 2026–27 wages and health insurance for CTA and OESPA employees. The district asked the board to adopt its proposed insurance changes and wage offer, citing a projected $145.5 million trust shortfall and the need to address premiums, deductibles, and plan design. It referenced a $52.5 million wage offer. The unions supported the special magistrate’s recommendations, arguing that the district’s insurance changes and proposed salary increases would impose substantial costs on employees. No final vote or board action resolving the impasse appears in the transcript.

The hearing included debate about healthcare procurement and potential cost reductions. Union representatives criticized the district’s handling of vendor options and access to records, and urged competitive review of providers, pharmacy costs, and other savings strategies. District representatives said they had explored alternatives, including meetings with Orlando Health, and noted that the existing Sigma agreement may limit a second narrow-network option; the agreement reportedly allows termination with 90 days’ notice. Board members discussed future competitive review and a possible one-time employee supplement from property-tax litigation settlements: officials identified about $20 million in recently settled amounts, of which approximately $16 million could be general-fund money, while further amounts remained uncertain. The board also discussed a separate $20 million December trust transfer, but the transcript does not record a decision on the supplement, procurement changes, or the impasse proposals.