The KIPP MA Team provided an update on the health insurance open enrollment period, which concluded in early December for the January 1, 2026 plan year.

• Process: The organization conducted an "active enrollment," requiring employees to actively choose their plans.
• Participation: 96% of eligible staff (all but 13 individuals) took action to enroll or waive coverage during the enrollment window.
• Plan Selection: There was a successful shift toward the more cost-effective "Focus Plan." 100 staff members opted into the Focus Plan, while 116 remained on the traditional HMO plan.

Financial Impact: The shift in plan selection, combined with the "Focus Plan" adoption, is projected to result in approximately $300,000–$400,000 in annual savings for the organization.

The KIPP MA Team presented updates regarding the organization's supplemental leave policy and the integration with Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML).

• Policy Change: To address financial sustainability, KIPP MA is transitioning from a policy that provided 100% salary replacement for all employees to a tenure-based tiered system. The state PFML benefit will serve as the foundation, with KIPP providing a supplement based on years of service.
  • 0–3 Years Tenure: Employees receive the state benefit only.
  • 3–7 Years Tenure: Employees receive up to 70% supplement from KIPP for 4 weeks.
  • 8+ Years Tenure: Employees receive a 100% salary top-off for 4, 8, or 12 weeks, depending on type of leave.
• Financial Impact: The Executive Director noted this adjustment is expected to save the organization between $300,000 and $400,000 annually.
   
• Discussion:
  • A Board member inquired about the distribution of staff across these tenure buckets. A member of the KIPP MA Team clarified that the distribution is roughly one-third in the 0–3 year bucket, one-third in the 4–7 year bucket, and 27% in the 8+ year bucket.
  • A Board member acknowledged the difficulty of the change for staff but recognized the necessity given rising costs, frequency of leaves and the generous nature of the previous policy.
  • The Executive Director emphasized the communication strategy of reframing the benefit as the "State + KIPP Supplement" to clarify the value for staff.

A member of the KIPP MA team presented preliminary data from the annual "Intent to Return" survey.

• Participation: As of January 16, 357 out of 367 eligible staff had completed the survey.
• Projections: Based on historical analysis of "Yes" and "Unsure" responses, the organization is projecting a retention rate of over 80%, which would be in line with retention rate trends over the past 5 years.

Campus Highlights: A member of the KIPP MA team highlighted that the KIPP Academy Lynn campus currently shows the highest estimated retention, marking a significant positive turnaround for that school.