Northside ISD employees face higher health premiums as voters weigh tax increase

Northside ISD voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a 3-cent increase to the district’s maintenance and operations tax rate per $100 of property valuation.

If approved, the increase would help fund a 2% pay raise for all district employees. The measure, known as a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, is on the ballot alongside a separate bond package.

But teachers at Stevens High School told KSAT the raise would not offset rising health insurance premiums. They said they also were hit without warning with fewer coverage options and changes to deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket maximums.

“Extremely scary,” said Maria Rangcapan, a visual arts teacher at Stevens. “It was completely blindsided.”

Rangcapan said her family’s monthly premium rose from about $250 to more than $900, forcing her to drop her husband from the plan.

“It’s going to be an everyday fear,” Rangcapan said. “Like, hey, don’t get in an accident. Make sure you don’t get really sick, stay healthy.”

KSAT spoke with three Northside ISD teachers who have worked in the district for 14 to 23 years. They said employees in past years have typically had up to six health plan options.

Victor Moldovan, a U.S. history teacher at Stevens, said teachers’ concerns prompted him to start a petition asking the Northside ISD school board to review the benefits package and provide more transparency.

“We were obviously angered and distressed, worried,” Moldovan said. “So I decided to get a petition going around the schools because I was hearing teachers’ concerns.”

Moldovan said some employees on higher-tier plans are seeing sharp increases.

“If you’re on the highest plan, around $1,100,” he said. “That’s a quarter of our paycheck as a teacher. If you’re an hourly employee, that’s more than half your paycheck.”

In a statement, Northside ISD said it is adjusting employee premium rates for the 2027 plan year after holding premiums flat for eight consecutive years.

“This adjustment reflects significant nationwide medical inflation, escalating provider costs, and broader health insurance market shifts — including a more widespread move to HMO options,” the district said. “Throughout this planning process, the district’s priority was protecting employee choice and maintaining access to high-quality care.”

Stevens teachers plan to hold a peaceful protest in front of the school after classes on Monday and are encouraging employees from other campuses to join.