Parent raises concerns about new driver insurance limits; board tables proposal on independent‑contractor abuse/molestation coverage

A parent warned the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education that recently updated driver insurance requirements could be difficult for families to meet, and the board later tabled a separate action item on insurance requirements for independent contractors after a lengthy discussion about availability, cost and liability.

Marquita Lee, parent of three children in the district, told the board she had contacted the family’s insurer (American Family, offered through Costco) after the district raised a required medical‑payments limit from $5,000 to $10,000 for volunteers and drivers. “We do not offer $10,000,” Lee said, noting that many carriers do not make that medical‑payments option available. Lee urged the district instead to ensure uninsured/underinsured motorist limits match bodily‑injury limits, saying that would protect students and be a more practicable route for parents.

The insurance item returned later on the agenda as an action item for “independent contractors” — individuals who work on campus but are not district employees, such as vendors, enrichment providers and some after‑school instructors. Staff and trustees discussed examples in which independent contractors reported difficulty obtaining sexual‑abuse and molestation liability coverage at the $1 million limit the district had been asking for, and suggested several alternatives including a longer “long‑form” agreement (similar to Santa Rosa City Schools), lower per‑person limits, or a district waiver process when…