District staff reported an increase in workers' compensation claims and a three-year rise in the districtxperience modification rate (mod) during the Oct. 14 Board of Education meeting.

A presenter for the workers' compensation update said the district's experience modification rate was 1.27 for the 2024-25 school year, above the industry average of 1.0. The presenter said the district recorded 68 workers' compensation claims between July 1 and Oct. 14 this year, compared with 39 for the same period last year. Of the 68 claims, 55 were logged as $0 claims (close calls or first-notice reports that do not affect the mod). The presenter said 13 claims carried allocated or direct loss amounts totaling about $40,005.73; $6,003.67 had been paid to date, with additional outstanding costs expected as claims proceed.

The district also described a change in insurer and third-party services: staff said the district moved workers' compensation coverage to West Bend Insurance to gain on-site assessment and claims-management services that the previous carrier did not provide. "They will come to our buildings. They will assess claims," the presenter said, and staff described plans to use those on-site assessments to identify corrective actions, training needs and best practices from comparable districts.

Board members pressed for reductions in staff injuries caused by students. Dr. Herzog said she was concerned that "6 of the 13 direct loss incidents involved a student striking a staff member" and said the district must prioritize staff safety so employees "feel safe coming to work." Board members asked what training West Bend would provide and whether training would be districtwide. Administrators said West Bend will evaluate incidents and work with principals, special education leaders and pupil services to develop after-action plans; the district is continuing to use conscious-discipline strategies and nonviolent crisis-intervention training.

Administrators described structural steps to monitor incidents, including routing special-education-related incidents to the special-education director for follow-up and involving maintenance or facilities when slips and falls occur. The incident summary was reported as a key performance indicator in the district strategic plan; administrators said the three-year average could improve if current-year claims decline.

Why it matters: A sustained increase in the mod rate raises district insurance premiums and signals a higher frequency or severity of staff injuries. Board members sought clearer districtwide training plans and faster follow-up on incidents, particularly those involving student-on-staff assaults.

No formal board action was recorded on the workers' compensation report; staff described monitoring and follow-up steps and said they would continue to report to the board.