Columbus City Schools and its unions have reached an agreement on employee health coverage for 2027, clearing the way for open enrollment to begin in the first week of October. The district’s joint insurance committee voted Monday to accept a proposal from the Columbus Education Association, the teachers’ union. The proposal keeps the premium increase for participating members to no more than 8% next year, but also includes changes to plan design. The school board canceled a special meeting scheduled for Monday after the agreement was reached. The agreement follows weeks of concern among employees over rising health costs. CEA member Kelsey Gray, a high school English teacher, said the increase in payroll deductions would range from about $5 to $15, but that employees would face higher costs when they use medical care. She also criticized the district’s handling of insurance expenses, saying it had not taken legal action against former insurance consultant Aon-Hewitt over what she described as cost overruns. District officials said the plans will avoid surcharges that otherwise could have added $150 to $550 a month to some employees’ premiums. The district plans to post benefit guides in the coming days, with cost estimates based on employees’ selected plan and number of dependents. Superintendent Angela Chapman said the district and union leaders worked together to maintain quality health benefits and ensure employees and the district share the costs. Gray objected to the superintendent’s statement, saying the district had not accepted responsibility for what she considers failures in managing the insurance costs. The agreement establishes the plans for district employees represented by multiple unions, though the available details do not specify the changes to each plan or the final cost estimates. Employees will be able to compare options during open enrollment starting the first week of October.