More than 100 Columbus City Schools teachers union members packed the Oct. 6 board meeting and heckled board members as the president decried what she said was a false public perception about the handling of the district's insurance crisis.
Members of the Columbus Education Association (CEA), which represents teachers and other faculty, rallied outside of the district's board offices before the Oct. 6 meeting, demanding that the board members give the unions answers and hold themselves accountable.
"I promise we'll be a festering sore in their side until they're accountable," CEA President John Coneglio said. "They chose to gut punch us instead of having labor peace. Our contract campaign starts now."
Board President Antoinette Miranda told members
as CEA members were walking out that she was "not trying to talk you out of how you are feeling," but added that "a lot of misinformation is circulating."
"No one likes paying more," Miranda said. "Every employee of this district and every working person in America should be angry that the cost of health care is rising steeply. Health care is a human right that should be affordable for everybody."
The CEA action comes after an insurance "disaster" caused by a bad deal between CCS and Aon, a London-based insurance consultant that cost the district millions and forced them to dip into their self-insurance fund reserves.
According to information provided to The Dispatch, insurance premiums for CEA employees and district administration is set to go from $4.22 to $45.71 per biweekly paycheck, and district staff like bus drivers and custodians expect their premiums to rise from $1.33 to $45.71 biweekly. Open enrollment for 2027 began Oct. 5.
When the board meeting began with an added executive session, CEA members in attendance began booing and chanting: "Vote them out!"
At a special Sept. 28 Joint Insurance Committee meeting, district unions and the administration came to an agreement to ensure health insurance continues with a capped 8% premium increase to participating members in 2027, alongside changes to the health benefits plan. The vote, which was unanimous, avoids steep health insurance surcharges for employees starting in January. That comes CEA voted at the district's Sept. 23 Joint Insurance Committee meeting to reject plan changes, which the district said will lead to higher insurance surcharges for district faculty and administrators.
However, following the agreement, the CEA said they were "held hostage" by the deal and had no choice but to go along with it.
Miranda said the district's Joint Insurance Committee, which includes the CEA, "worked diligently" to create a health insurance plan for employees, and the union saying the board "forced a last-minute decision is simply not true" She also noted that the district is paying 87% of employee health costs for 2027.
"Aon was a problem but that did not cause the cost increases for 2027," Miranda said. "The board is having to pay these increased costs while we are already facing budget cuts for the coming year – so this is not easy for anyone."
At the Oct. 6 meeting, CEA members expressed their frustration with the district. Traci Cottrell, a CEA member and district teacher, said the district is run more like a corporation than an educational institution.
"You all act like you care, but you don't," Cottrell said. "You're just treating us like numbers – and that's what corporations do. Data data data, number number number, 'We love you, we're going to say we do, but we really don't give a crap.'"
On Oct. 1, the CEA's legislative assembly of over 200 members voted unanimously to adopt a resolution of "no confidence" in the CCS board, citing a "continued lack of transparency, accountability, and leadership during the district's ongoing healthcare and financial crisis."
The CEA has called for the district to engage with educators, explain why they haven't taken legal action against Aon, commit to benefits oversight and take public accountability for the crisis.
Miranda said during her remarks that the district was still exploring legal actions against Aon and was evaluating risks and costs associated with a lawsuit.
"Any resolution of a case would likely be several years in the future and would do nothing to address healthcare costs in 2027," Miranda said.
Oct. 6 meeting latest salvo in fight over insurance 'disaster'
The Dispatch reported on July 27 that CCS was considering firing a human resources administrator after it found she had improperly signed contracts and failed to maintain records regarding her dealings with Aon. The health insurance consultant helped the district navigate its employee health insurance benefits package in 2024.
An external forensic audit of the dealings with Aon found the district overspent as much as $40 million more than expected for the benefits plan produced by Aon during 2025 and 2026, and that Aon "generally treated the district as a taxpayer-funded cash cow."
At the Oct. 6 Miranda said the cost overrun was detected by human resources personnel, and no money has come from the district's general fund in the past two years. She said no money has been "lost, stolen or misspent."
The district did lose $22.5 million to the underfunding problem, but Miranda said that it was only underfunded by $1 million in the first six months of 2026, meaning the actual loss to the district has been around $24 million. She said it is not likely the cost will reach $40 million.
"It was not lost, stolen or misspent, the funds simply paid for employees doctor visits, medical treatments and associated health benefits costs," Miranda said.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus school board leader speaks on insurance fiasco, teachers pack meeting
