MANSFIELD - The cost of providing health insurance for teachers and other school department employees is set to jump next year, according to budget projections released last week by the finance committee.

Mansfield's total spending on health insurance for the school department in 2009 is forecast to grow by 13.2 percent, nearly triple this year's rate of increase. The total cost will rise from $4.4 million this year to just under $5 million next year.

The cost of health insurance for the schools' employees grew this year by only 3.8 percent, according to the committee, to $4.4 million from $4.2 million in 2007. By contrast, the cost of health insurance for the town government's employees is projected to rise by 7.3 percent this year, from $2.2 million to $2.4 million - about half the rate of increase for school employees.

The increase for town employees is also more in line with national trends. Nationwide, health insurance premiums increased by 6.1 percent on average in 2007, according to the Kaiser Foundation, a health research organization.

The outsize increase is not the reason for the schools' current budget troubles, however, because health insurance for school department employees is part of the town's budget, rather than the schools' budget. As is the case elsewhere, the increasing costs have town officials concerned. "Health care is a tremendous cost to us," said Selectman George Dentino, who said the town government pays for 70 percent of its employee health insurance costs.

The disparity in costs between the two sets of employees is attributable to their choice of health plans, according to James Lazzara, a member of the finance committee.

More school employees have chosen to join a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan than a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan, and PPO plans are more expensive, Lazzarra said. Town employees, on the other hand, have been more likely to join a less expensive HMO.

Unfortunately, Town Manager John D'Agostino said, the town is legally obligated to offer its employees both PPO and HMO plans.

"We would love to offer just an HMO plan," he said. "I'd be the first one to say just HMO. But I can't do it legally."

TED NESI covers Mansfield for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at tnesi@thesunchronicle.com or 508-236-0434.