Supplemental pay for coaches discussed

The Evangeline Parish School Board’s Executive Committee met Tuesday, September 15 to discuss criteria for coaching supplements following LHSAA actions and liability insurance for the school district.
CFO Amy LaFleur said there is a minimum list of criteria each coach must fill in order to be eligible for coaching supplements. The main criteria has to do with how many games they coach in a season. She asked the committee to waive the minimum criteria for the 2020-2021 fiscal year because of the pandemic and the way the seasons are being played this year. She asked to have it match whatever LHSAA guidelines deem for the sport, rather than what Evangeline Parish has used in the past.
Superintendent Darwan Lazard added LHSAA does not govern the elementary sports because those are decided locally. He asked for the authority to follow LHSAA guidelines so that the seasons match. “We want to pay the coaches,” he said. “It’s not like they’re not working, and if they could play more games they would.” The committee approved the request.
In other business, LaFleur said the district’s insurance agent gave them options to renew liability insurance. This insurance includes general liability, automobile liability, physical damage insurance, school leaders professional liability, and cyber liability. These insurances are all paid using the General Fund.
The school board could renew their current coverage which has a general liability per occurrence, per member limit of $1 million and an annual aggregate of $3 million; a sexual abuse/molestation liability with a $1 million limit and an annual aggregate of $3 million; and other liability limits of $1 million. Deductibles for each liability range from $2,500 to $25,000. Total premiums are $141,587.
LaFleur said if the district wanted to pay a little more for increased coverage, most liability limits would be $2 million, with annual aggregates between $2 million and $4 million, depending on the liability. Deductibles would mostly stay the same as the current coverage. For the new coverage, the total premium would be $164,468.
“For a little more money, you can have double the coverage you currently have,” said LaFleur.
Committee member Peggy Forman asked how many times liability insurance has been used. LaFleur said, “We used the insurance a good bit. We use workers’ compensation a lot.”
Assistant Superintendent Michael Lombas said there were several accidents, saying last year a bus hit a car in Chataignier. He said they ended up paying for the car, which was cheaper than going into a lawsuit. “We’ve had a number of cases where employees were hurt,” he said. “There are quite a number of cases that pass through my desk, and it adds up pretty quick.”
“We’ve had some very interesting cases,” said LaFleur. She said of one case, “We paid heavily for something that probably should not have been. And it happens.”
Committee member Nancy Hamlin asked Lazard and LaFleur if they felt they needed to increase coverage. “We’re a big system,” said Lazard, adding, “Anything can happen. I like to be proactive to the extent that we can.” He said LaFleur told him they can afford the extra cost. “Lawsuits are more expensive. And surgeries add up quickly. From that standpoint, I feel like it would be money well-spent. It’s just the atmosphere and the world that we live in.” LaFleur gave an example of someone who could trip on a sidewalk and have to have surgery and a year of therapy, saying that would be very costly. Lombas asked the committee to image a bus accident where the school is liable. The committee approved to increase coverage.