Ypsilanti Community School Employee Benefits are Highly Skewed

About three weeks ago, I wrote about reports that I had heard, that while Ypsilanti Community Schools teachers and administrators would be offered both individual and family insurance, support staff would not be offered family insurance.

At the time, I wrote this:

3. At a recent combined board meeting, the head of the (I heard this second-hand, but I think it was the) Ypsilanti custodians' union got up to speak to the board about the fact that they had been told that while teachers and administrators would get benefits for themselves and their families, the custodians, paraprofessionals, office staff, and more would only be able to get individual health benefits. 
According to a May 13, 2013 report in the Ypsilanti Courier, 

Menzel said the most significant difference [in terms of employment] is that some employees won't be eligible for spousal or family coverage. While teachers, administrators, and several other groups of staff members will receive options for single, spousal, or family coverage, other groups, such as paraprofessionals and custodial staff, will only be offered single person coverage.

And at the time, I mentioned that I couldn't really find anything written saying that support staff would not get benefits. I guess the district decided that went too far (or would have left them subject to a lawsuit?). So now, the costs for health care for individuals and their families have been posted. As you can see, there is a huge inequity between what teachers and administrators will pay for family health care, and what support staff will pay.

Support staff will pay up to 4x as much as teachers and administrators for family benefits, even though the support staff group, as a whole, will make much less money. 

Sunday night I emailed Scott Menzel (WISD Superintendent) and Emma Jackson (WISD Director of Communications) asking for their comments on the rationale for this decision. I haven't heard back yet. If I do, I'll be sure to post their answer(s) here. 

[Hint: You could email them yourself and ask about this--or whatever else you want to know about YCS. Emails: smenzel@wash.k12.mi.us; ejackson@wash.k12.mi.us].

Reminder: YCS Board Meeting Packets and Minutes (such as they are--they are not very detailed) can be found here. It appears that almost nobody has been making public comments to the board, but the time is available for those who want to speak.