April 23, 2026
Dear Sheridan Families,
I want to provide an update on our discussions with the Sheridan Education Association and ensure you have accurate information on how we’ve handled the healthcare benefits of the staff who have been on strike.
All Sheridan staff members continue to receive benefits. A portion of the cost of an employee’s benefits is covered by the District, and a portion is covered by the employee, through a payroll deduction from their paycheck. For employees who have chosen to strike and not be paid, they have not been receiving paychecks during April and therefore have not been paying their normal share of the cost of their benefits.
During the month of April, Sheridan School District No.2 has paid the full cost of healthcare benefits for those staff who are not reporting to work, including the full cost that has not been paid by the employee. The cost of covering the employees’ normal share of their coverage has totaled around $30,000 of unbudgeted expenses from the District’s operating budget. We simply cannot continue to cover that cost. We have a responsibility to the entire community to be good stewards of tax dollars and all public resources. The practice of continuing to pay the full cost of benefits coverage for employees not reporting to work is not fiscally sustainable, and it is not fair to our entire staff nor to our entire community.
As a result, we communicated to all district staff that as of May 1, we are returning to normal benefits coverage. All employees will need to pay their share of the cost of healthcare benefits, either through normal payroll deductions if they’re reporting to work or through the continuation-of-coverage (COBRA) option. Again, no employee is losing access to healthcare benefits.
We have and continue to be open and eager to find common ground with the SEA. Today, Governor Jared Polis has intervened and provided valuable support in helping us reach an agreement that would be good for our teachers and for the entire community.
We remain committed to strong and fair work rules and job protection, to competitive compensation and benefits, and to a responsible agreement that is good for students, teachers, support staff, and the entire community.
We are willing to work around the clock to reach an agreement, so that we can welcome all of our teachers back to our schools and return them to full strength and full staffing for our students, families, and community. And we remain committed, at all times, to doing everything we can to support our students, families, and community members.