BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Contract talks between the Broward Teachers Union and Broward County Public Schools have stalled, sending negotiations into the state’s impasse process.

Union President Anna Fusco said she felt emotional after the school board declared an impasse Thursday.

“I felt like I got punched three times, punched in the stomach, throat punched and punched in the jaw,” Fusco said.

Under the impasse process, a state mediator will step in to help both sides reach an agreement. The main sticking point is health insurance costs. Fusco said proposed changes could force teachers to pay significantly more out of pocket.

“They wanna recoup this problem by up to almost doubling our deductibles, tripling our med copay,” she said.

The district says rising health care costs are affecting school systems everywhere and notes it is already dealing with financial strain, declining enrollment, planned school closures and an ongoing hiring freeze.

In a statement, the district said no one is trying to take away health coverage and that the focus is on keeping the plan financially stable long term.

Fusco said the union is open to solutions, including different medical plan options, but believes the board is not negotiating in good faith.

“They don’t want to have a real solution in a business sense. They just wanna slam it to save their problem,” she said.

The district said it will continue offering a free employee-only health plan.

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