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Arizona Risk Retention Trust presents model policy platform; board told of $500 startup fee and vetting process
Summary
A legal team described a model policy platform hosted by the Arizona Risk Retention Trust and Microscribe, including an initial $500 onboarding fee, annual updates and legal vetting by multiple law firms. Staff recommended the board consider placing the model-policy agreement on a future agenda.
A representative of the Arizona Risk Retention Trust explained a new model-policy program to the Prescott Unified School District governing board at its May 6 meeting, outlining how the platform would host district policies, the review process and fees.
The presenter, introduced as a school attorney who works with the trust and partner law firms, said the trust assembled several law firms to draft a library of model policies and that districts may adopt those policies or adapt district-specific language. The platform uses Microscribe to host policy manuals and offers search, translation and form banks, the attorney said.
Key points the presenter gave the board included: a current onboarding fee of $500 (the trust board is reviewing a graduated fee structure and rural-district discounts for future years), an expected ceiling of about $2,500 for districts in future fee structures, annual updates tied to legislative changes, and that the trust vets updates with the original law firms that drafted the models. The presenter said roughly 41 districts were already live on the platform with 10–12 more transitioning.
Board members asked about customization (districts can preserve locally written policies and add district-specific procedures), timeline options for adoption (districts can migrate chapter-by-chapter or in a single fiscal-year rollout), and how the trust supports districts with limited administrative capacity. The trust representative said the trust offers checklists, crosswalks and formatting assistance and can populate a district’s Microscribe site after policy review.
No board action was requested at the meeting, but staff recommended placing the trust’s model-policy agreement on a future agenda if the board wants to consider joining the program. The presenter noted the trust’s policy updates had recently addressed pending changes in mandatory reporting, directory information and student cell-phone use, and that the trust offers webinars and site-based training for boards and administrators.
