Local educators will have to absorb a 7 percent increase in health insurance costs in 2018 as the school system will not be able to offset the rising premiums after a request for a tax increase was rejected by county government.The Board of Education voted unanimously during a special session Friday to adopt a maintenance of effort budget which calls for $12.2 million from the county. The budget is minus the $590,406 the school system sought to offset rising health insurance costs. The school system had first requested a 19-cent tax increase, then a 9-cent increase, both of which were rejected by Warren County commissioners.“We won’t be able to pick up the increase like we did last year,” Director of Schools Bobby Cox told the Board of Education.