Zero insurance hike saves schools $400K
BAR HARBOR Schools in the Mount Desert Island Regional School System (MDIRSS) will save a combined $399,819 because there will be no increase in the health insurance rate for the coming year.
Typically, in April, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield tells school superintendents across the state how much their rates are going up. But schools must have their budgets set weeks earlier, so they plug in a placeholder amount for health insurance.
For several years now, the MDIRSS schools have initially budgeted for a 10 percent rate increase, with the expectation that the actual increase would not be more than that. However, for next fiscal year, which starts July 1, the schools budgeted for an 8 percent increase.
Technology supports education about MDI
News Highlights: Technology supports education about MDI
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND – Students can join a Pear Deck session, follow their teacher on a Jamboard, practice mindfulness on GoNoodle, or play part of a song with their instrument while Smart Music assesses accuracy. These are just a few examples of how technology is changing education.
Learning in 2021 looks different from a few years ago because of the first dive into technology that was needed during the pandemic. Schools in the neighborhood are adjusting their budgets in response.
“Every student currently has a device. Every adult has a device, ”Pemetic elementary school principal Rhonda Fortin told the Southwest Harbor School Committee during a recent preliminary budget review of the Zoom meeting on Jan. 13.