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Smithville R‑II board debates property‑insurance renewal; some trustees press for wider broker RFQ
Summary
Board members questioned administration’s approach to renewing the district’s 2025–26 property insurance, with some trustees saying administration had promised a broader broker solicitation. Administration said multiple insurer quotes were sought but acknowledged it did not run a separate RFQ to change brokers this round.
Trustees at the Smithville R‑II Board of Education debated the district’s proposed 2025–26 property‑insurance renewal, focusing on whether administration met earlier commitments to solicit broker proposals beyond the current broker.
One board member said the administration had previously told the board it would seek broader bids and criticized the decision to renew without a new RFQ. “It’s our job for the taxpayers’ money. We need to go out and ask for an RFQ,” the board member said during discussion.
Administration responded that it had asked the broker (Denali) to solicit multiple insurer responses and that several insurers provided quotes. An administrator acknowledged the RFQ for a different insurance line (workers’ compensation) is being prepared and accepted responsibility for not prioritizing a separate broker RFQ earlier. “I did not run out of time. Did I make it a high enough priority, so I’ll certainly own that,” the administrator said.
The superintendent and other administrators described a seven‑year trend chart included as a late addition to the board packet and said property coverage has driven much of the recent premium increases. A district official cited a representative premium metric (referred to in discussion as “17.4¢”) and said the administration asked brokers to beat that rate where possible. The administration also said they were comfortable the renewal was favorable compared with market alternatives that returned higher estimates.
Trustees pressed whether a change of brokerage would yield access to different insurer markets; administration said that different brokers can have different market access and that the district will pursue a broader broker solicitation ahead of the next renewal cycle. One trustee said they would vote against the renewal because the promised broker RFQ had not occurred.
Why it matters: Property insurance cost and broker selection affect the district’s operating costs and risk management; premiums and deductibles noted in the discussion are material to the district budget.
Board follow‑ups: Administration said it will run a broader market process for the next renewal cycle (beginning in May for future cycles) and will include a workers’‑comp RFQ currently in preparation. Administrators offered to provide board members with the seven‑year trend and insurer response details on request.
