At the Nov. 10 meeting the board approved the health insurance committee’s recommendation to raise district health insurance premiums by an aggregate 9% effective Jan. 1, 2026, and to adjust third‑party administrative services as recommended by the committee.

The presenter said the 9% figure is an aggregate increase across plans and not a straight 9% on every tier, noting the district’s plan is generally well managed and that market stop‑loss increases in some cases range much higher (presenter cited 15–50% market movements). The presenter also said the district looked at bids and recommended keeping HealthPartners for medical services while moving stop‑loss and pharmacy administration to a separate third‑party (named in the presentation as 'Crumdale').

Board member Dave moved to approve the rate change and the vendor selections and the motion passed by voice vote. When asked who pays the increase, the presenter said employees will pay the premium increases consistent with negotiated contract terms (there is at least one plan with higher out‑of‑pocket cost for certain employee groups).

Next steps: HR and the benefits team will finalize open‑enrollment materials and vendor contracting ahead of the Jan. 1, 2026 effective date.