School Approves Bid For Student Accident Insurance

By William Browning

WATER VALLEY – The Water Valley School District will have its student accident insurance for the 2007-2008 school year written by Steve Brown Insurance Agency.

    The Winona, Miss. firm’s $13,800 bid was accepted Monday night by the school district at the regularly scheduled Water Valley School Board meeting.     

    The insurance, which is secondary, covers all students participating in a school-related function.

    The only other bid received, for $14,969, came from Coffeeville Insurance Agency. That firm wrote the student accident insurance for the district the past two school years.  

    “I’d love to keep (the coverage) local here in Coffeeville,” said school board member Cayce Washington of the decision. “But I can’t get any clarity out of the information they gave us. It may be a better policy, but I can’t tell it by looking at it.”

    A third bid for the coverage was on the way, according to Assistant Superintendent Anthony Barnes, and the school board considered waiting until it was received to make their decision. However, school board accountant Randy Goodwin noted that the current policy expires July 31. And with varsity football practice beginning Aug. 6 (and the Water Valley Volleyball team playing its first match Aug. 7), the board decided to go ahead with the action.

    “I would feel more comfortable if we made a decision now,” said Goodwin.

    Other business conducted at the school board meeting included:

    • Barnes read a letter written by Superintendent Sammy Higdon that thanked Water Valley city aldermen and Yalobusha County supervisors for their “continued support” of the school district.

    •    Higdon was not present at the meeting, as he is attending a Mississippi Association of School Superintendents seminar.

    •    The board went into executive session to discuss two student issues and one personnel issue.