Three insurance firms briefed the Woodland Hills School District board on Feb. 12, each pitching services and strategies to manage rising premiums and claims exposure.

Why it matters: The district’s insurance costs have risen in recent years and board members said they want both competitive pricing and year-round service after several large claims. The presentations outlined different market access, claims and risk-control approaches that the board said it will weigh before selecting a broker to manage renewals.

Hub International representatives described a multi-year service plan and emphasized continuity. "I take accountability to the highest level, and I can assure you that my teams will be accountable," said Chet Rhodes, identified as president, Hub 3 Rivers, during his remarks. Mike Troppiano of Hub said the firm currently insures dozens of Pennsylvania school districts and promoted a multi-year strategy to stabilize costs.

Arthur Gallagher’s Pat Zedrick said his firm insures more school districts in Pennsylvania than any other agency and highlighted its benchmarking ability, noting Gallagher can compare Woodland Hills with similar districts to set premium and deductible targets. "Because we have access to so many school district policies, we're able to do benchmarks and analytics," Zedrick said, citing examples of premium differences and claims trends.

Henderson Brothers, the district’s incumbent broker, framed its pitch around the service and risk-control work it has provided since taking the account 18 months ago. Jared Sadowski, vice president, said carriers previously left portions of the district’s program because of a claims spike related to the district’s unique properties, including vacant buildings and a district police station. "We came in, offered our service approach, and we were able to find a home for Woodland Hills to move to a different carrier," Sadowski said. Evan Benton of Henderson Brothers described in-house claims and risk-control resources the firm assigns to school accounts.

All three firms described specific program elements they would emphasize if hired: coordinated claims response and on-the-ground risk-control visits (Henderson Brothers), statewide cyber programs with centralized placement (Arthur Gallagher), and a planned, multi-year renewal strategy with client service teams (Hub International).

Board members asked for written summaries and suggested the decision should be made quickly so a new broker can begin work before the March renewal cycle. District business officials indicated they will collect feedback and return a recommendation to the board.

Looking ahead: Board members were not asked to vote on a broker during the Feb. 12 agenda setting meeting; they signaled they expect a recommendation and a potential vote at a forthcoming meeting.