SLIDELL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT “On track andleading the pack”

P.O. Box 69
Slidell, Texas 76267

Phone: (940)-535-5260 Fax: (832)-426-3424

TaylorWilliams Superintendent
Ext.238

MartyHair Asst.Superintendent
Ext.235

TheresaStevens Principal
Ext.224

Brad Hayhurst Asst.Principal
Ext.223

SLIDELL ISD PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO

CURRENT LOCAL INNOVATION PLAN

Proposed Timeline of Events for Uniform Group Coverage Program Amendment

April/May 2020 - Amendment formation by District DOI

May 2020 - Slidell ISD Board of Trustees take action to pursue Amendment to current District Of Innovation Plan and request for SBDM/DOI members to review proposed Amendment

June 2020 -SBDM/DOI Members review and approve proposed amendment

June-July 2020 - Proposed Amendment posted for public view for 30 days and Slidell ISD Board of Trustees notifies Commissioner of Education of intent to vote on Amendment

July/August 2020 - Board approves the amendment to current Slidell ISD District of Innovation Plan. District notifies Commissioner of Education of approval of Amended District of Innovation Plan.

AREA OF INNOVATION

With regard to each area of innovation, the District declares exemption from the listed statutory provisions, as well as any implementing rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to those statutory provisions by any state agency or entity, including but not limited to the Commissioner of Education, Texas Education Agency, State Board for Educator Certification, and State Board of Education.

1. Preclusion from providing alternative Uniform Group Coverage Program once the program of coverages under Chapter 1579, Insurance Code is implemented.

Exemption from: TEC §22.004(i)

Related Board Policies: CRD (LEGAL) and CRD (LOCAL)

Manner in which statute inhibits the goals of the plan:

TEC §22.004 (i) (Group Health Benefits for School Employees) states that a school district may not make group health coverage available to its employees pursuant to TEC 22.004(b) after the date a District implements the program of coverages provided under Chapter 1579 of the Texas Insurance Code. The current process allows no flexibility in the design of group health insurance benefits to fit the needs of all Slidell ISD employees. This provision also prohibits the District from procuring group health insurance benefits that may provide better coverages for its employees and at a lower cost. This provision does not give the district the flexibility needed to acquire benefits packages that would potentially be more attractive to prospective employees.

Exemptions from Texas Education Code 22.004 (i)

Texas Education Code 22.004 is not in any of the prohibited exemptions that can be included in a District’s local innovation plan pursuant to Texas Education Code 12A.004 and the list of the Commissioner’s prohibited exemptions in Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Chapter 102, subchapter JJ, Section102.1309.

Innovation Strategies

a. Increased local control of the group health benefits plan to allow the District to be responsive to employee and community needs.

Therefore, the district proposes that the District of Innovation Plan be amended to exempt the district from the health insurance requirements in TEC 22.004 (i).

Amendment adopted by the DEIC on June 11, 2020.

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Superintendent

Approved by the Slidell Board of Trustees on:

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Board President

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Board Secretary