Should BOE Provide School Sports Insurance?

A school district policy that eliminated taxpayer-funded accident insurance coverage for after-school sports programs was questioned at the Brick Township Board of Education meeting Thursday night.

In the past, the district extended health insurance coverage to student athletes who participated in interscholastic sports – meaning that the district's policy, not the student's family's health insurance policy – would cover injuries stemming from sports activities. But the item was removed from the budget last year, officials said.

"If he gets hurt, and his parents don't have insurance, he's basically up the creek?" asked Board Vice President John Talty.

Business Administrator James Edwards replied that the school district still provides insurance policies for student athletes, but an athlete's family must pay $85 to participate.

Board members tabled a measure Thursday to clarify the language in a district policy that said the school system provided insurance.

"We provide it to the parents to be purchased, but we don't purchase it on their behalf," Edwards said, replying the board member Susan Suter questioning why the policy said 'provided' when parents were responsible for purchasing the insurance policies.

Edwards said parents were advised of the new policy before it went into place.

Talty said he was not in favor of eliminating the coverage when the question first came before the board, and he'd like to see the insurance re-instated.

"This was a budgetary decision this year not to buy student accident insurance because it became so expensive," Edwards said.

The insurance ran about $210,000 per year, he said.

Tabling the matter will give the school board time to discuss it at a later time.