ORLANDO, Fla. – Contract negotiations between Orange County Public Schools and its teachers union remain stalled as district leaders say rising healthcare costs are creating financial challenges, while educators push for better wages, benefits and transparency.
The district, the fourth largest school system in Florida with thousands of teachers, says negotiations have been ongoing for months but reached an impasse in April. The issues under discussion include healthcare benefits, salaries and working conditions.
District leaders say one of the biggest financial pressures is the rising cost of employee healthcare. Because the district is self-insured, it pays more than $10,000 per employee for healthcare coverage, a cost expected to increase to over $11,000 next school year…