School District To Insure Student Athletes For Free

July 22, 2009

All Escambia County student athletes will have free accident insurance complements of the school district during the upcoming school year.

freeinsur.jpgThe bill for $55,820 blanket insurance policy will be paid out of the Escambia County School Districts $9 million reserve fund. The board voted 3-2 Tuesday night to provide the insurance, with Patty Hightower and Gerald Boone voting against the plan. Boone and Hightower instead supported a plan requiring all student athletes to purchase a policy from the school system at $12 per high school student and $6 for each in middle school.

The new insurance plan will be at no cost to student athletes in any sport regardless of their current insurance status. If a child is already insured, the school district policy will serve as secondary coverage, covering additional expenses like co-pays on the primary policy.

During the last school year, if a student provided proof of at least $25,000 in insurance, they were not required to purchase a district policy. If they opted for the district policy, it last year’s cost was $54 for football players, $20 for soccer players and $9.50 for other sports.

The district current has about 5,500 total student athletes.

Comments

6 Responses to “School District To Insure Student Athletes For Free”

  1. free on July 24th, 2009 12:19 am

    free food free insurance what next

  2. Elizabeth on July 23rd, 2009 5:05 pm

    When I was in the color guard I knocked out a flute player with my flag during practice. It sounds funny now, but she was really hurt. After she came to, they had to take her to the hospital with a concussion. Another girl, on a different occasion, broke her ankle when landing a leap on uneven ground. Another hospital trip. Whatever you do, you have the potential to get hurt.

    Why is it the school board’s responsibility to insure these kids? Sports are not the only extra-curricular activity that can hurt you.

  3. Me on July 23rd, 2009 4:48 pm

    If this is the same insurance that comes home from school every year, it is not worth your time and the school board is wasting money. The insurance offered through the school changed last year and doesn’t pay squat. I know it does not cost much but you think it would pay a lot more than it does.

  4. Weed on July 23rd, 2009 12:27 am

    how can the school district do this? it seems this is taking money from the “general education fund” and putting it toward individual students. why should the non athlete students be required to pay for a district insurance policy when the athletes are provided one for free. I think we should file a class action law suite against the school board as this is discrimination. I also think anyone who is outraged by this needs to call your school board rep and tell them. also call the aclu to have them get involved. call Susan Watson, who is the local ACLU Director, Northwest Florida Region, 850-429-9128

  5. John on July 22nd, 2009 10:17 pm

    I agree, it is discrimnation. What if I am in the marching band and I trip over the tuba player? Gotta love the south man, sports IS king ’round here! Your a superstar if you play sports. What a joke!

  6. no sport on July 22nd, 2009 7:43 pm

    Isn’t this discriminating against non athletes? Why should athletes get free insurance when others don’t?