The district withdrew the shift to TRS-ActiveCare that would have significantly increased costs for some employees; it is now preparing new rates to maintain its self-funded health system.
Pasadena ISD employees are still waiting to know how much they will pay for their health insurance in 2027 after the district withdrew a proposal that would have replaced their current plans with TRS-ActiveCare starting January 1.
The administration announced that it would recommend keeping the district’s self-funded health insurance system and continuing to offer its existing coverage options. However, the new premiums for 2027 have not yet been published.
The decision came after employees voiced concerns about the increase that the previous proposal would have represented, particularly for workers who insure spouses, children, or their entire families.
Pasadena ISD withdrew the TRS-ActiveCare switch on September 22
The health insurance change was scheduled to be considered by the Pasadena ISD Board on September 22, but Superintendent Toni Lopez pulled the item from the agenda before the meeting.
The proposal contemplated employees leaving the district’s self-funded system and moving to TRS-ActiveCare, the state medical benefits program administered for employees of public schools.
Pasadena ISD attributed the proposal to financial problems with its health fund, which has operated at a deficit for several years.
After withdrawing the change, the district said it would present new premium options to keep the current system.
The withdrawn proposal would have carried family coverage up to $2,647 per month
The figures published by Pasadena ISD help quantify why the change raised concerns among employees.
The four current options included in the district’s comparison have monthly premiums ranging from $110 to $533 for individual coverage and from $628 to $1,753 for family coverage, depending on the plan.
The withdrawn proposal offered three TRS-ActiveCare options. Their monthly premiums were:
| Type of coverage | TRS Primary | TRS Primary+ | TRS HD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee | $455 | $579 | $484 |
| Employee + spouse | $1,758 | $2,022 | $1,851 |
| Employee + children | $996 | $1,216 | $1,049 |
| Employee + family | $2,292 | $2,647 | $2,402 |
Those amounts already included a monthly district contribution of $322 per employee.
The figures pertain only to the withdrawn proposal and do not represent the premiums that employees will pay in 2027.
Current plans cost between $110 and $1,753 per month
Pasadena ISD maintains four options in its current comparison: Plan 1, Plan 3, Plan 4, and Plan 5.
| Coverage | Plan 1 | Plan 3 | Plan 4 | Plan 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee | $533 | $110 | $214 | $154 |
| Employee + spouse | $1,207 | $396 | $528 | $422 |
| Employee + children | $965 | $330 | $453 | $353 |
| Employee + family | $1,753 | $628 | $813 | $664 |
The final cost for 2027 could be different even if Pasadena ISD retains those same plans, because the district still has to set the premiums that will apply next year.
New rates for 2027 remain pending
After withdrawing the switch to TRS-ActiveCare, Pasadena ISD indicated that it would prepare new premium options for employees and for the School Board.
As of September 28, the official Pasadena ISD benefits portal still directs to a page titled “Medical Plan Proposal 2027” that shows the TRS-ActiveCare rates associated with the withdrawn proposal.
A new table with the premiums that will replace those figures has not been published there.
Therefore, the TRS-ActiveCare amounts should not be used as the final cost that employees will face next year.
The medical fund deficit remains unresolved
Removing the proposal does not eliminate the financial problem that led the district to consider a change in insurance.
Pasadena ISD has noted that its medical fund has run deficits for several years. The administration will need to determine how it will finance the current plans and how much the district and the workers will bear during 2027.
Superintendent Toni Lopez also indicated that employees will receive monthly updates about the insurance and other district financial matters.
Once Pasadena ISD publishes the new premiums, the difference can be compared directly with current costs to determine how much the monthly deduction will change for each type of coverage.
