6500: Risk Management

The board believes the district must identify and measure risks of loss due to the damage or destruction of district property or to claims against the district by others claiming to have been harmed by the action or inaction of the district, its officers or staff. A risk management program will be implemented to reduce or eliminate risks where possible, to determine which risks the district can afford to assume and to transfer to an insurance company those risks which the district does not wish to assume or cannot economically afford to assume. Such a program will consider the benefits, if any, of joining with other units of local government for joint purchasing of insurance, joint self-funding, joint self-insuring or joint employment of a risk manager. The superintendent will assign the primary responsibility for the administration and supervision of the risk management program to a single person. The superintendent will report the status of the risk management program to the board each year. The district will make available to claimants its standard tort claim form.

The district will purchase and pay for surety bonds for the superintendent, business manager and such other staff and in such amounts as the board will from time to time determine to be necessary for honest performance of the staff in the conduct of the district's financial operations. Such bonds may include a deductible proviso not to exceed two percent of the employee's annual salary.

Legal References

• RCW 4.96.020 Tortious conduct of local governmental entities and their agents — Claims — Presentment and filing — Contents
• RCW 28A.320.060 Officers, employees or agents of school districts or educational service districts, insurance to protect and hold personally harmless
• RCW 28A.320.100 Actions against officers, employees or agents of school districts and educational service districts — Defense, costs, fees — Payment of obligation
• RCW 28A.330.100(10) Additional powers of board
• RCW 28A.400.350 Liability, life, health, health care, accident, disability and salary insurance authorized — When required— Premiums
• RCW 28A.400.360 Liability insurance for officials and employees authorized
• RCW 28A.400.370 Mandatory insurance protection for employees
• Chapter 48.62 RCW Local government insurance transactions

Management Resources

• Policy News, April 2010 Tort Claims