Richfield board approves annual policy updates and renews workers’ compensation insurance

The Richfield School Board approved several annual policy reviews and related updates and renewed its workers’ compensation insurance during the Aug. 18 meeting.

Administrators presented a packet of policies for the board’s yearly review. The packet included Policy 107 (electronic use) with added language about social media aligned to the district’s recently passed professional‑boundaries policy, Policy 712 (credit card usage) and administrative guidelines, Policy 403 (disability nondiscrimination) as a second read, and other policies (leave of absence, mandated reporting, student behavior, school district accountability, public data, crisis management). The administration noted two policies—harassment (103) and bullying (113)—have been pulled for more extensive review and will return later this fall for three full readings.

The board then voted to approve the packet of policies requiring annual review.

On insurance, the district recommended renewal of workers’ compensation insurance at a projected premium of $465,131, a decrease of $12,156 (2.55%). Administration said the drop reflects payroll assumptions and a lower experience modification (experience mod) because higher workers’‑comp claims from the COVID era are rolling off the five‑year experience period. Staff said they expect flat to reduced workers’‑comp costs for the next several years as those higher‑cost years fall out of the calculation.

Board members approved the workers’‑comp renewal on a motion; administration confirmed the renewal had been negotiated with the district’s insurance consultant.