The Columbus City Schools teachers union voted no confidence in the school board over the insurance "disaster" that led to a last-minute agreement before open enrollment begins in October.
According to the Columbus Education Association (CEA), which represents district faculty like teachers, its legislative assembly of over 200 members voted unanimously on Oct. 1 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 vote from the CEA 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.
CEA President John Coneglio said the union's membership has lost confidence in the board's ability to "effectively govern the district, protect public resources, and act in the best interests of students and staff."
"The board has failed to acknowledge its role in this crisis, failed to pursue recovery of misspent funds, and failed to provide the leadership our schools deserve," Coneglio said in a statement.
The union is calling on teachers, support staff, parents, community members, and all public workers to attend the Columbus City Schools board meeting on Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. The union is calling 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.
"The tide is changing," Coneglio said. "We will continue to hold both the school board and city leaders accountable for decisions that prioritize powerful interests over the needs of Columbus families. Our students, educators, and communities deserve better."
Columbus City Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
At a special Sept. 28 Joint Insurance Committee (JIC) 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 plan changes to the health benefits plan. The vote, which was unanimous, avoids steep health insurance surcharges for employees starting in January 2027.
However, following the agreement, the CEA said they were "held hostage" by the deal and had no choice but to go along with the agreement.
That agreement comes after the 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 charges for district faculty and administrators.
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."
However, at an Aug. 4 meeting, CCS board President Antoinette 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 describing the underfunding "as a district failure is inaccurate."
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 $23.5 million. She said it is not likely the cost will reach $40 million.
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: CCS teachers union votes no confidence in board over insurance fiasco
