MPCSD insurance costs rise due to hike in workers' comp premium

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Insurance costs are on the rise for the Mt. Pleasant Community School District.

Mike Vens of Gamrath-Doyle-Vens Insurance of Mt. Pleasant, the district?s insurance carrier, told MP School Board members Monday night that the district?s insurance premium will increase by $68,484 for fiscal 2015. Last year?s premium was $230,359 and fiscal 2015?s premium will be $298,843. School insurance is actually underwritten by EMC, an insurance consortium for most Iowa school districts.

Vens said he and Ed Chabal, MPCSD director of finance, had gone through the coverage earlier ?and increased deductibles to absorb the shock of the original quote.?

The agent attributed the increase to a new way of measuring the workers? compensation premium.

?There was a significant increase in workers? compensation (premium),? Vens explained. ?It really was a ?perfect storm? between the industry and the school district. There was a shift toward severity of loss (workers? compensation) instead of frequency of loss and the impact was fairly dramatic.?

The workers? compensation portion of the premium increased from $127,887 to $190,029, or by just over $62,000.

To help keep premium costs down, the district increased the deductible on personal and commercial property lines from $1,000 to $2,500. The increase reduced the property insurance premium by $2,986.

In other agenda items, the board tabled the second reading of a proposed superintendent contract policy and referred the matter to the policy committee for review.

Prior to the regular meeting, the board met in closed session under Iowa Code section 21.5(1)(i) which reads: ?To evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to the affected individual?s reputation and that individual requests a closed session.?

No motion was made regarding the closed session when the board reconvened in open session.

In regular agenda items, the school board and district recognized Debbie Dowell of Southeastern Community College and Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) with a plaque. The plaque was given in appreciation for Dowell and IWD?s help in making the IWD Youth Summer Program available to district students.

The program allows students to learn new skills. The program also was aided by the work of Warren Larson, high school guidance counselor.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mike Wells was appointed the school?s representative on the county REAP committee.

Contracts were approved for Michael Pilcher, junior varsity wrestling coach; Mark Cremer, high school business; Robin Mathews, Salem food service (three hours); Nicole Lequia, Lincoln instructional strategist; Brandi Crall, middle school instructional strategist; Allison Edmonds, Lincoln one-on-one para-professional; Kimberly Perron, Salem one-on-one para-profesional;

Also, Amanda Jarvis, high school instructional strategist (pending certification); Jessica Haro-Ponce, Van Allen living skills para-professional; Makenzie Sartorius, ninth-grade volleyball (pending certification); Nathan Lange, assistant varsity girls? basketball; Heidi Huckabone, seventh-grade girls? basketball; Lisa Lowery, eighth-grade volleyball; and Shelby Gillis, middle school cheerleading coach.

Resignations were accepted from Terri Rickard, high school ACE room para-professional; Jesse Schadt, high-school wrestling; Nathan Lange, seventh-grade girls? basketball; and Kemlyn Bappe, middle school instructional strategist.

Board members meet again in regular session Monday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the high school media center.