Faculty and staff at Sedalia Schools will continue to have their health insurance covered by the district, but a number of changes will see the increased cost not hit the district’s coffers as hard.

At Monday night’s meeting, the Sedalia School District 200 Board of Education agreed to continue their coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. Superintendent Doctor Todd Fraley says the district will see its monthly cost per employee rise to $852, resulting in a net increase of $354,266 for the next school years. He explains how the district was able to restructure their costs.

The district’s updated health plans also saw some changes to two tiers, lowering the expected price increase to 7.5 percent. Fraley says the increases are making it more difficult for the district to continue covering the entire cost.

The Sedalia School Board also approved an agreement to raise $15 million in a lease-purchase funding agreement, with an effective interest rate of 4.72 percent.

Board members Diana Nichols and Barbara Schrader were sworn in for their new three-year terms. Nichols remains the board president while Schrader returns as board secretary. Sam Kempton will serve as vice president for the year, Pam Moon as treasurer, and Brad Grupe as the delegate to the Missouri School Boards Association, with Scott Gardner as the alternate.