Citing soaring health care costs, SchoolCare, a pooled risk management program providing health coverage to 90 school districts and towns, has asked for a one-time $30 million assessment to cover a mid-year deficit.

The increase is needed to deal with red ink that the risk pool's management says it has faced in the past two years.

SchoolCare officials said on average it will represent another one and a half months of additional costs that get passed on to property taxpayers.

“For nearly 30 years, SchoolCare has provided New Hampshire public employers and employees with affordable, reliable health benefits,” the risk pool said a statement released by Lisa Duquette, its executive director.

“During favorable years, we returned nearly $100 million in premium surpluses to our members. Now,

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