Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Risk Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Workers'‑comp lost-time claims fall sharply; union calls for audit as transportation mileage rises
Summary
Risk management reported a large drop in lost-time worker injuries in 2024; the teachers’ federation called the decline a red flag and asked for an external audit. Transportation staff also reported a roughly 20% jump in annual bus miles, which officials attributed to front‑door special-needs runs and GPS tracking.
The district’s 2024 risk-management trend report showed a marked decrease in lost-time workers’ compensation claims compared with 2023, prompting the teachers’ federation to call for an external audit at the Feb. 6 meeting.
Risk-management staff (Mister Davis) told the committee the district recorded far fewer lost-time claims in 2024 than in 2023 and attributed the improvement to multiple operational changes: earlier accommodation of medically restricted employees (return‑to‑work with restrictions), faster scheduling with specialists and proactive follow-up with physicians to obtain work‑restriction details quickly. Davis said the district has worked with local health systems to expedite care and to make reasonable accommodations so employees can return sooner where medically appropriate.
Brent Osborne, president of the teachers’ federation, told the board the drop from 66 lost-time accidents to 16 is a “red flag,” saying incident counts remain similar and urging an external audit of the risk-management program to ensure injured employees receive timely care and that reporting is consistent. "That is a red flag," Osborne said during public comment.
Separately, transportation staff reported a substantial increase in miles driven by district buses in 2024—roughly a 20% increase from pre-COVID levels to about 6.3 million miles. Transportation staff (Mister Burmester) said two main factors explain the rise: the routing required for students with exceptionalities (many of whom are picked up and dropped at the front door rather than neighborhood stops) and more accurate mileage reporting from GPS systems.
Board members asked for further breakdowns: where mileage increases were concentrated, and how risk-management metrics break down by job class. District staff said they will provide additional detail and noted they have reduced time-away-from-work cases through a mix of medical follow-up, accommodated duties, and in-school adjustments when injuries occur.
Ending: The federation requested an independent audit of risk-management processes; the district said it would provide additional data to the board and continue to refine return-to-work and accommodation practices.
