Select Board addresses Old Rochester healthcare shortfall

ROCHESTER — With a $2 million budget healthcare shortfall accepted at Town Meeting, Rochester now looks forward on how to pay its share. 

The Select Board accepted a memorandum of understanding over the budget deficit at a meeting on Monday, June 22. 

While it has since changed insurance providers, the district previously participated in the Gateway Health Group, a self-funded insurance group in which members split the cost of claims. 

A broker from the health group quoted the district a rate the district then budgeted for, but the cost of medical claims this school year were significantly higher than anticipated. Because of this, some employees have already experienced coverage interruptions and even received debt collection notices. 

Rochester is expected to pay $716,000 of the deficit. 

Town Administrator Cameron Durant explained that there are six points of consideration between the town of Rochester and the Old Rochester Regional School District as they pay the shortfall.  

“I feel that this puts Rochester in the best possible position in a bad situation,” Durant said. 

Chair Paul Ciaburri wondered if the Select Board should wait for Bradford Morse to sign the document since he was absent. 

Clerk Adam Murphy responded they should sign the document since he did not want to change anything and it had already been vetted by other town officials. 

“I don't think there's anything personally that I'm going to ask the town council to change,” Murphy said.