Committee asks legal check on whether student accident insurance must be required or may be offered voluntarily

The Richmond Community Schools policy committee reviewed the district’s student accident insurance policy and asked staff to confirm whether state law requires the corporation to mandate accident coverage for students participating in activities that carry injury risk.

Why it matters: the draft policy includes language that a signed statement of insurance coverage should be a prerequisite for registration in activities with potential for personal injury, but staff said current practice is to offer a voluntary insurance option (a vendor flyer distributed by the athletics office) rather than require coverage. Committee members raised liability and equity concerns and asked administration and legal counsel to clarify statutory obligations.

Discussion highlights: - Current practice: staff reported that a vendor (described in the meeting as a voluntary provider) supplies information to parents; athletics registration asks for insurance information but coverage is not mandatory at present. - Legal and equity questions: the committee asked whether law requires the district to offer coverage and whether the district can make coverage mandatory. Members raised equity concerns that a mandatory charge could exclude families unable to pay. - Liability and waivers: some members noted the administrative benefit of documenting that parents were offered coverage and declined as support in liability cases; others said waivers and insurance availability do not replace investigation of district negligence when appropriate.

The committee asked staff and board counsel to research the cited statutory references (including General Powers Act citations mentioned during the meeting) and return with guidance about whether policy language should make coverage mandatory, require a signed waiver, or continue the current voluntary-offer practice. No policy changes were adopted at the meeting.