The Florida Educator Health Trust has added four more School Districts, expanding its membership to 23 districts representing nearly 65,000 public school employees statewide.
The nonprofit health insurance trust announced that its Board approved applications from Union, Lafayette, Gulf and Manatee counties during its May 21 meeting. The additions continue a growth trend that FLEHT says is helping School Districts leverage collective purchasing power to reduce healthcare costs while maintaining employee benefits.
With the new members, FLEHT now serves districts across Florida through a model designed to provide long-term cost stability and greater transparency in health insurance spending.
“The savings our districts are realizing are not theoretical,” said Ted Roush, Executive Director of FLEHT. “We are delivering real, verified dollars back to school systems that desperately need relief from rising healthcare costs, and we are doing it without cutting a single benefit for the educators who dedicate their careers to Florida’s children.”
According to FLEHT, member districts saved more than $7.8 million during the first quarter of 2026. Actuarial projections estimate total savings between $31.5 million and $70.5 million across participating districts over the next five years.
The organization said districts transitioning from traditional insurance models can expect initial savings of 7% to 12%, with savings potentially growing to 13% within one to three years.
FLEHT operates under the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and is governed by an Executive Committee of Superintendents, with member districts represented as voting trustees. The trust says its structure provides economies of scale and purchasing advantages that individual districts may not achieve on their own.
The newest additions bring Union, Lafayette, Gulf and Manatee counties into the statewide effort as districts continue to search for ways to manage rising healthcare costs while preserving employee benefits.
