School District ops to join health insurance trust

The School Board of Highlands County has opted to join a non-profit health insurance trust as the District grapples with rising health insurance costs.

The board had two options to consider: approval to move forward to join the Florida Education Health Trust (FLEHT) or approval to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure a health insurance broker.

Deputy Superintendent Andrew Lethbridge said the District's insurance committee met last week and had a lot of discussion on FLEHT and brokers. Ultimately the committee was unanimous with moving forward with FLEHT.

"We believed there are a lot of benefits with it ... if it doesn't work and we want to leave, there would not be binding contracts that would be involved," he said. With this being really focused on school districts this is unique opportunity to be with an organization that will be looking at how to improve the District's insurance outcomes, which is an area of need, he added.

FLEHT describes itself as a "non-profit health insurance trust designed to help Florida's school districts take control of their employee health plan benefits. By joining together, districts gain transparent, sustainable solutions that reduce costs, improve stability, and enjoy economy of scale buying power, not available to districts independently self-insured."

The other member districts with the insurance trust group are Brevard, Desoto, Hardee, Hendry and Polk.

FLEHT states it was created to give Florida school districts a smarter, more sustainable way to manage employee health benefits. "Through collective buying power and transparency, we put districts, not brokers, in control of delivering long-term savings and stronger support for educators who shape Florida's future."

FLEHT states that it was formerly known as the FSHIP program, established in 2009 by the Florida School Board Insurance Trust (FSBIT). In April 2025, the program transitioned to FLEHT under the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS), ensuring continued alignment with the needs of Florida's educational leaders.

In July, The School Board of Highlands County approved an increase in employee health insurance rates that was recommended by the District's Insurance Committee.

At the July School Board meeting, Deputy Superintendent Andrew Lethbridge said the District's self-insurance plan has been running poorly the last several years and lost $2 million last year with claims exceeding the revenue.