Orange County school board to vote on teacher health care contract dispute

The Orange County School Board is set to vote Friday on a months-long contract dispute with the teachers’ union — a decision that affects the financial future of more than 10,000 teachers.The dispute comes down to health care costs. A special magistrate was brought in to find middle ground between the school district and the union, but the two sides could not reach an agreement.The magistrate recommended capping premium increases at 20% and setting individual deductibles between $750 and $900. The school district proposed individual deductibles of $2,000 to $3,000.For family coverage, the magistrate recommended a $1,800 deductible cap. Under the district’s proposal, that figure could reach $6,000.The school board says its health fund is unsustainable without higher cost-sharing and that it is currently losing about $20 million per month.“This is money that either pays for your health insurance, pays for your salary or pays for jobs,” a school board representative said.The board attempt