As contract negotiations continue, teachers and school support staff say sky-high healthcare costs are hurting them and the district as a whole.

At the April 29 School Committee meeting, more than two dozen teachers and faculty stood holding signs as the committee went about its business for the evening.

Although no budget or contract-related items were on the open session agenda, teachers wanted to send a clear message to the School Committee: Health care needs to change.

Renee Vieira, President of the Dartmouth Educators Association, said the biggest issue facing teachers is the split between staff and the town on health care costs.

In Dartmouth, 52 percent of town and school employees’ Blue Cross Blue Shield payments are paid by the town. Employees are left to cover the remaining 48 percent of the bill.

Vieira said health care costs are set to go up in the coming months to $317 a week for a family plan, or $123 a week for an individual plan. The lowest-paid district employees could be left with less than $100 a week — before taxes — after taking health care costs out of their paychecks.

“We recognize Blue Cross Blue Shield is a very good health plan, but we pay an astronomically high rate,” Vieira said.

It’s also having an effect on hiring. Vieira said there have been cases of new district hires backing out of jobs after being shown the town’s health care information.

Although the school district is proposing a 2-percent budget increase, Vieira said the School Committee needs to consider changing the health care ratio.

“We’re asking the School Committee to try and support paying a little bit more towards our payments,” Vieira said. “We haven’t put a number across the table as far as changing the percent increase. We’re just making them aware now.”

Teachers’ contracts expire on August 31. Teacher assistants’ contracts expire at the end of the school year.