Eagle Point School District 9's business manager told the board July 30 that the district's workers' compensation costs have risen sharply and will affect budgets for the next several years. The district reported 74 claims with time loss over the past five years and said its experience modifier has moved from 0.71 to 0.96 and now to 1.23; workers' compensation costs are up about 25 percent and the district is already approximately $110,000 over budget for insurance.

The numbers matter because the district's insurance multiplier is calculated on a trailing multi-year basis, meaning losses from several years can continue to raise rates. The business manager told the board that the recent claims driving the increase occurred about three years ago and will continue to affect rates through the 2026'2028 policy years unless losses decline.

Board members pressed staff on what the district will do to reduce losses and control future costs. The business manager said the district is working with its underwriter (Ashley) and a safety trainer (Shira) to provide either occasional short trainings in higher-risk areas or periodic full-day sessions. Staff also said they have begun tracking all incident reports, whether or not they become formal workers' compensation claims, so the district can spot patterns and address unsafe practices before they produce a claim.

Staff identified slips/trips/falls as the top category of incidents and being struck by an object as the second-most-common. The business manager described options including: targeted short "blasts" of safety training at high-risk sites, occasional full-day sessions, and closer coordination with site facilities to address hazards such as uneven ground around play equipment. She also said the district would continue to pursue non-disabling reimbursements and that new property (for example, newly acquired buses and buildings) will be added to coverage and can change premium calculations.

Board members asked for follow-up information. Requests included a yearly report showing employee counts over five years, a breakdown of the top loss categories and the specific sites or programs where losses are concentrated, and clarification about training for special-education staff. The business manager said she would prepare and distribute additional data to the board.

Next steps: staff will provide a detailed incident breakdown and employee-count trends, continue safety training coördinated with the district's safety representative, and work with the underwriter to reduce loss frequency. The board did not take formal action on the insurance item during the meeting.