Teachers tell Ann Arbor board rising insurance costs will feel like pay cuts; union bargaining urged to follow prior budget assumptions

Teachers and school staff used public-comment time to warn the Ann Arbor Public Schools board that anticipated health-insurance premium increases would amount to effective pay cuts and that the district should honor prior budget assumptions in bargaining.

"We simply cannot continue to support ourselves or our families under these conditions," said a teacher who described a 17.5% increase in insurance premiums and referenced projections that could translate into a $200 per paycheck reduction in take-home pay. (Nathan Smead)

Commenters said previous district presentations by an administrator had outlined a path — including salary steps, 1.5% raises and a 5% increase in district contributions to healthcare — that the community expects to be honored in negotiations. They urged the board to insist administration begin bargaining from that baseline rather than seeking savings "on the backs" of staff.

The board heard multiple pleas that rising out-of-pocket costs will force experienced staff out of the district and make recruiting difficult, particularly for specialized roles in special education. "This is time to show you care through your actions at the bargaining table," Leslie Wilkins (public commenter) said.

No formal bargaining outcomes were decided at the meeting; commenters requested that the board direct district negotiators to maintain the financial assumptions shared earlier in the budget discussions. Administration and labor representatives were not recorded as presenting new contract offers during this meeting.

What happens next: speakers asked the board to press the district to use the prior budget assumptions as the starting point in negotiations and to prioritize retention-related measures in upcoming bargaining sessions.