Faced With Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs, ObamaCare Failing Schools Now Too
In most of the country, schools are getting ready to open their doors once again for another academic year. Yet many school boards are facing tough decisions with President Obama’s government takeover of healthcare coming down the pike.
In a Reuters report this morning, many school districts—already facing budget cuts—are trying to find ways to comply with ObamaCare’s regulations and provide health insurance to substitute teachers and staff, without cutting hours.
“In Pennsylvania’s Penn Manor School District, Superintendent Mike Leichliter said there is no room in its constrained budget to provide additional employee insurance. Instead of cutting hours, the district used a substitute-teacher contracting service to pay part of the salaries for 95 employees. Money for such a service does not count against the school’s budget.
‘When we looked at our costs, (healthcare) was one area that really had the potential to skyrocket,” Leichliter said. ‘This is absolutely the worst time for school districts to be faced with mandated increases.’
‘The National School Board Association said many states and school districts have at least explored reducing hours, according to Linda Embrey, a communications officer. Several school officials contacted by Reuters said they could not find a way around cuts.
‘In Indiana’s Fort Wayne Community Schools district, one of the state’s largest, administrators reduced hours for 610 of its 4,050 employees, including substitute teachers and support staff, who were working 30 or more hours a week. Providing them with health insurance would have cost $10 million annually, said Krista Stockman, public information officer for Fort Wayne.”
These types of choices are what many school boards are facing across the country. With Washington imposing a one-size-fits-all law onto the backs of local officials, budgets are strained and hours are cut.
It can be very easy to think of the law in abstract terms, but come October 1st, life under ObamaCare will be very real for too many Americans.