Pete Serzant, WLIP News

KENOSHA, WI–Facing increasing costs for healthcare, insurance, and school supplies, the Kenosha Education Association is asking for more money from Kenosha Unified. The KEA proposed at this week’s meeting for a 7 million dollar budget surplus to be divided into stipends for each employee enrolled in the district’s new cost saving health insurance plan.

Among many speakers at this week’s meeting, who told of the burdens the new insurance brought, was veteran teacher Sue Knapp. Knapp told the board the stipends can help employees make ends meet.

The proposal all calls for a stipend of 15 hundred dollars for participants in the district’s health insurance plan and 5-hundred dollars for school supplies for each teacher.

The 7 million dollar surplus came from savings to the district from switching to the new health insurance, changes to the staffing budget, as well as an additional 3 million dollars in state revenue.

The board may take up the proposal next month.