The Gloucester County School Board adopted a $55,889,353 revised operating budget for fiscal year 2017 during a work session last Thursday at the T.C. Walker Education Center. The budget includes a 4 percent raise for all employees.

The revised budget was adopted after the board received an additional $250,000 allocation from county supervisors to help it compensate for a $750,000 increase in employee health insurance costs. The increase was not confirmed until after the board initially adopted its FY2017 budget and forwarded it to supervisors.

In its recent request for proposals, school officials learned that Anthem, the school division’s current health insurance provider, was proposing a $1.6 million increase for the division due to its claims. The division also received a quote from Cigna that would require only a $750,000 increase and the board opted to switch providers.

Along with receiving the extra $250,000 from supervisors to cover the increase, the board will also ask...