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Insurance
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Jackson District representative Ellis Bingham took a different view. “I prefer an optimistic approach,” he said. “Everybody has full faith in us, and that’s why they don’t come out.”
School Superintendent David Gangel explained that in building the budget he, for the first time, asked the supervisors to spend only the amount the state requires for an en■ rollment of 1,010. In the past the county has contributed more than the minimum share, he explained.
He said the budget included more for employee health insurance and will pay the employees’ share for the retirement system. Also he said some increases were to make up for ' cuts in the current budget, particularly for supplies and repair and re! placement of equipment. The budget [ also calls for two additional bus drivers and bus routes, two additional teachers at the elementary school and one more at the high school.
Col. Bingham asked if it would be possible to pay 100 percent of the cost of single subscriber health insurance. Although the budget calls for an increase of of nearly $500 in the employer’s contribution to school system health insurance, it will only cover about 52 percent of the single subscriber premium. Col. Bingham noted that the county pays 100 percent of the single subscriber cost for county employees.
The projected cost next year for county employees is $2,736, a 17 percent increase over the current year’s cost of $2,328. For next year the School Board estimates that the cost of a single subscriber premium for their employees will be $3,125, a 35 percent increase over this year’s rate of $2,315.
Last year the cost for school system employees was $1,454, and for county employees it was $2,114.
County Administrator John Me
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