COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Schools employees and their union remain at odds over how to address a shortfall in the district’s self-funded health insurance program, with potentially steep cost increases looming in January. The Columbus Education Association, which represents thousands of teachers and support staff, held a rally Wednesday outside the district’s headquarters. The demonstration, called “Return to Sender,” followed a meeting of the district’s joint insurance committee where union members voted against proposed changes to the plan’s design. The district estimates that employee insurance costs could rise by as much as $550 per month per person beginning Jan. 1, depending on the plan selected. Union representatives say the increase could be charged per paycheck, potentially pushing the monthly impact above $1,000 for some workers. CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes said employees are being asked to meet demanding expectations in classrooms while facing the prospect of losing affordable health coverage. “Where is our care?” Fuentes said. “You want all of these objectives to be completed by teachers, but you don’t want to do your part to make sure we’re actually there in the classroom to do that work.” The union is urging the Columbus Board of Education to consider legal action against former insurance consultant Aon-Hewitt, adopt stronger auditing and monitoring practices for health-care spending, and work with employees on a resolution. CEA President John Coneglio said failing to address the issue collaboratively could further weaken the district’s ability to retain and recruit staff. High school English teacher Kelsey Gray said increased premiums could drive employees out of Columbus schools and public education more broadly. She also accused the district of mismanaging its employee health-care fund by roughly $40 million and pointed to cuts in state funding as an additional strain. District spokesperson Michael Brown said Columbus City Schools remains willing to continue discussions but criticized the union for not acknowledging national increases in medical costs and health-care use. The district currently has no additional joint insurance committee meetings scheduled, Brown said. The dispute centers on the district’s self-insurance fund, which pays employee medical claims. The fund was managed by Aon-Hewitt until this year, when the district ended the company’s contract. Board President Antoinette Miranda has said an independent review found the fund was underfunded by $22.5 million in 2025 and about $1 million in 2026 at the time of the review. She said the union’s $40 million figure combines the 2025 shortfall with the high end of a separate projection that the 2026 gap could reach between $7 million and $18 million. Miranda attributed the shortfall to unusually expensive medical claims and planning errors, including the failure to account for costs associated with covering GLP-1 weight-loss medications. For employees and their families, the unresolved dispute could mean a major hit to household budgets just as the district continues to depend on teachers and support staff to fill classrooms and other school positions.