G-E-T schools approve health insurance for ’23-24

At a time when the dollar is not reaching as far as it used to for nearly any purchase due to inflation, the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District will not see a cost increase to its health insurance policies next year.

The G-E-T school board last Monday unanimously approved its health insurance policies for the 2023-24 school year, which included a zero percent increase from this year’s medical insurance rates through Quartz Health.

Board members said they were surprised to see that the medical and dental rates will not increase due to the economy and inflation in nearly every other market. The current medical setup sees the district pay 88 percent of costs with the employees taking the other 12 percent, according to board documents.

The dental coverage sees the district take 90 percent of costs.

District Administrator Michele Butler told the board that she thought the rate was a good deal, too.

“I really thought they were joking, but it’s a zero percent increase,” Butler said.

The one area of insurance that will see an increase comes with vision insurance through the National Eye Care Professional Network. Employees pay 100 percent of costs for vision, and prices are set to increase 15 percent in this area in 2023-24.

While the percentage sounds high, actual rates for vision rose 88 cents for a single employee and $2.10 for a family package.

Board members unanimously approved the policy, which also included no change to the district’s health savings account (HSA) limits.

Hurd steps down as 

girls basketball coach

The G-E-T High School girls basketball program will have a new coach next winter.

Louis Hurd is stepping down as the school’s girls basketball coach after holding the position for the last five years. 

Hurd — who will continue to teach in the district — had his resignation as coach accepted by the school board last Monday.

Hurd helped the Red Hawks to 53 wins as head coach. He coached the 2019 team that made it to the WIAA state tournament for the first time in program history.

“His knowledge is second to none,” athletic director Rick Schmidt told the Times of Hurd. “He’s got a great knowledge base of the game. His practices and structure, he just does such a good job with the basketball aspect of it.”