The Parkers Chapel School Board met on Friday, July 21 and faced an issue school districts across the state are currently dealing with – drastically raised property tax premiums.
PCSD superintendent John Gross told board directors that PCSD is facing a bill that has more than doubled.
“This past year, our school property insurance was $61, 551.61. The insurance has gone up 131%. This year the bill was $142,683.01,” Gross said.
PCSD receives its insurance from the Arkansas Insurance Department.
Most schools are covered by an insurance plan through the nonprofit Arkansas School Boards Association and 78 schools in the state are covered through the Arkansas Insurance Department, according to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporting. In discussing the price raises, state school officials have pointed to an increase in particularly weather-related claims to explain the price hikes.
Gross said the price comparisons between the options are “pretty much the same.”
The Arkansas Legislative Council approved a request by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ for $11 million in one-time state funds to help school districts pay for the higher premiums on Friday; this fact was not immediately known by Gross and board members during the meeting on Friday.
Under the plan, the state is set to cover 30% of the increase (not the total) of school district’s property insurance premiums.
“We already made the checks to pay this insurance and heard we might get some help from the state, so we decided to wait and see what the Legislative Council will do. If they give us this $24,000 credit we’ll adjust those checks and change that,” Gross said.
The board unanimously approved the property insurance payment along with vehicle insurance payments for the district at $15,762.
Softball field damage
Continuing the property insurance related topics, Gross also updated the board on steps he is taking to repair damage done to the district’s softball field press box and the area surrounding it including a fence and light pole.
The damage occurred during a storm that caused straight line winds last Sunday.
Gross said workers from Metro Disaster Services in Little Rock traveled to Parkers Chapel last week to clean up from the damage and place plywood as well as a tarpaulin on the building to protect it until more permanent repairs are made.
“[The insurance adjusters] have asked for a construction engineer to come inspect the building,” Gross said, adding that he received a recommendation for one from the district’s architect.
He recommended to the board that the district use Metro to repair damage to the building.
A board member asked why a construction engineer is needed for the building repairs.
“They don’t know exactly why the roof came off, it probably should not have come off… It’s one of the best roofs you can put on a building… I think the structure is strong under it, but for some reason [it looks like] the wind caught the middle of it,” Gross responded, referencing a video circulated on social media that captured the moment the roof was torn from the building.
The PCSD board will next meet on Monday, August 14.