Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools approved a major change to employee dental insurance as part of ongoing budget adjustments discussed at Tuesday’s school board meeting. The move will require employees to pay for their own dental insurance starting in January, but the district will still provide coverage.
Interim Superintendent Katie Moore reported that the district remains in a hiring freeze for central office and most school positions. However, hiring for key positions, including career and technical education, special education teachers, and teacher aides, will resume.
Recently laid-off employees will be notified of these vacancies first, providing them with a path back into the district. Moore noted that many recent employee resignations stemmed from being transferred to unwanted positions.
Nearly 30 employees resigned, several retired, and dozens were transferred. The dental insurance change, approved by the board in a 7-2 vote, is expected to save the district up to $2.6 million annually, including $1.25 million this year.
Board member Leah Crowley emphasized that the savings will help preserve employee jobs and framed the decision as a trade-off between benefits and employment. Educators expressed concern about the impact of the move on current and retired employees.
Jenny Easter, president of the WS/FCS Educators Association, criticized the move, stating, “Dental insurance is one of the few benefits that truly matters to some employees.” Retired teacher Colleen Lanier added that the change will impact post-retirement insurance expectations.
In addition, the board approved a public comment period for a new external audit committee policy, proposed by Moore in August after a state audit revealed long-standing financial mismanagement.
The committee will review annual audit and financial reports and will be appointed by community members with experience in accounting, auditing, risk management, business operations, or legal compliance. Committee members will serve two to three years.
