Mississippi teachers will use some of their recent pay raise on increased insurance premiums

by

Lacey Alexander

• Published on January 10, 2023 • Comments

In this Dec. 16, 2018 photograph, Chevonne Dixon, a fourth grade teacher at Tunica Elementary School in Tunica, Miss., leads her students in an exploration of blues music. The students are exploring the Delta’s homegrown music, a subtle way the new Mississippi Blues Trail Curriculum is being incorporated into lessons for science, math, social studies and English.
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

This year, teachers in the state will see some of their recently approved pay raise offset by increasing insurance rates.

Lacey Alexander

Mississippi teachers will use some of their recent pay raise on increased insurance premiums

Mississippi lawmakers passed a historic measure last year when they adopted a large pay raise for teachers. The average raise is reportedly around 5000 a year, but some of those funds will go to rising insurance costs that started this year. After a recent increase in premium prices, some teachers may be paying up to 10,000 a year to insure their families.

Kelly Riley is the executive director of the Mississippi Professional Educators organization. She says teachers see a trend in their pay raises often being accompanied by increased insurance costs.

"There just seems to be a historical trend unfortunately that when there is a teacher pay raise... there's gonna be an insurance increase." she said. "it's happened repeatedly."

Teachers are offered the same insurance plan as all state employees. Riley thinks state lawmakers should revisit the plan to see how cost-effective it is for the people it insures. She says these conversations start with organizations and teachers calling their local representatives.

"We have encouraged the legislature to review the cost-effectiveness of the health insurance plan," she said. "and maximizing plan benefits not only for school employees but for state employees as well."

The 6% increase in all premiums for state employees was announced last fall.