Trion School Supt. Dr. Phil Williams says more and more of the city school system’s budget is going towards employees health insurance costs.  Dr. Williams says that the cost to provide health insurance has gone up exponentially since he first became school superintendent. 

The State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) voted to increase employer contributions for state employees by 67% or $635 per member per month. While the state covers the employer portion for teachers and leaders, school districts must cover the employer share for non-certified staff—bus drivers and monitors, paraprofessionals, etc. Covering the employer share for these non-certified positions is a significant expense for local school districts.

Meanwhile, school systems across the state like Trion City Schools, struggle to hire and keep support staff.  One of the main tools for recruiting employees is for the school systems to offer health insurance, but that is eating into the budget.

Dr. Williams told the Trion School Board recently when explaining the 2024-2025 school year budget’s allocation for insurance, “You have to offer insurance. So you do the best you can do.  That’s all you can do”.