The Puxico School Board approved the health services review and the employee insurance plan at its February meeting.
Puxico School District nurse Mallory Barnes presented the health services review to the board. The objectives for health services are to ensure the goals for the district health services are implemented and to continue to update health services to meet the needs of the district.
Barnes said the strengths of the program are: parent involvement in children’s health care at school, education of children on how to prevent illness and maintain overall health, the ability to provide and incorporate outside/community services and involvement into each child’s healthcare, the ability to educate and train staff members in CPR and first aid, and the ability to educate high school students in CPR and first aid.
Barnes said recommended changes are to make sure that all records are updated annually, make sure health documents are in the SIS (Student Information System) and train teachers how to recognize signs of distress in students who have chronic conditions such as epilepsy or diabetes. Barnes said classes such as CPR and first aid are currently optional but should be strongly and highly recommended.
The board approved the district’s health services.
Superintendent Cindy Crabb presented the employee insurance plans for the 2022-23 school year. The plans are again with OSBA. There are seven plans. The 1500 PPO will see a premium increase of $17.99, 2000 PPO will increase $21.68, 2500 PPO will increase $20.66, 3500 PPO will increase $19.86, 3500 HAS will increase $15.17, 500HSA will decrease 48 cents and 6000 HSA will increase 67 cents.
Crabb said the renewal premium includes the Blue Access Network. The network includes a $500 lower deductible if the staff member uses the Blue Preferred Network in all categories except for the 6000 HSA, whose deductible would be $1,000 lower.
Crabb said if individuals use health care providers in the Blue Preferred Network their deductibles are automatically $500 lower than the column heading. Crabb said staff members were provided with the full benefits renewal details and provider listings for both networks. She said 100% of the employees that completed the survey voted to renew with OSBA. The board voted to renew the employee insurance.
The board then approved a move to cap the district’s insurance contribution at $450 per month. The district previously contributed 90% of the premium. The district will now put an additional $650 that would have gone toward the insurance contribution into the salary schedule. Crabb said this will allow all employees to be rewarded rather than just those with insurance.
Superintendent’s Report
Crabb told the board the district’s equipment struggled with the ice on campus following the recent winter storm. Crabb applauded the staff members that worked to clear the ice. Crabb also said ice slid off the kindergarten building and badly damaged the awning. She said it has been removed for safety purposes. Crabb stated that she would check the district’s insurance to determine what coverage may be available for the repair.