Rising Insurance Cost
At a Glance
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$1.83M 2026-27 risk pool contribution |
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+282% Increase since 2019-20 |
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21% Average annual increase |
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~$536 Per student this year |
Download the insurance infographic (PDF)
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Rising Costs Series See how rising costs and state funding gaps are affecting the district budget.
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Business & Finance
Rising Insurance Costs
BISD’s liability and property coverage has nearly quadrupled in cost since 2019-20. Every additional dollar spent on insurance is a dollar that comes from the General Fund instead of classrooms.
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2026-27 Risk Pool Contribution $1,826,255 — up 282% since 2019-20 That is $1.35 million more each year than in 2019-20, including a $506,426 (38%) increase in the last year alone. |
Seven Years of Increases
| 2019-20 |
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$477,513 | — |
| 2020-21 |
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$556,494 | +16.5% |
| 2021-22 |
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$660,015 | +18.6% |
| 2022-23 |
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$768,729 | +16.5% |
| 2023-24 |
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$982,846 | +27.9% |
| 2024-25 |
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$1,129,916 | +15.0% |
| 2025-26* |
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$1,319,829 | +16.8% |
| 2026-27 |
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$1,826,255 | +38.4% |
Annual WSRMP contribution and change from prior year. *2025-26 from WSRMP contribution quote.
Where the Increase Is Coming From
Growth by coverage type, 2022-23 to 2026-27. General liability now makes up about two of every three premium dollars.
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+216% General Liability $386,862 → $1,220,589 |
+154% Employment Practices $54,944 → $139,359 |
+117% Auto & Bus $104,485 → $226,402 |
+8% Property $222,438 → $239,905 |
What’s Driving the Increase
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1
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Rising cost of abuse claims Statewide, the cost of settling sexual abuse claims against school districts has climbed sharply since the Washington Supreme Court’s 2020 W.H. v. Olympia School District decision changed the legal landscape. |
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2
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Few limits on liability Washington broadly waives government immunity and has no caps on damages, which places it in a small minority of states. |
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3
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Shared risk, shared cost BISD buys coverage through the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool (WSRMP). Members share the cost of claims across the pool, so statewide claim trends affect our rates, not just our own claims. |
What We’re Asking For
State funding that keeps pace with real liability costs, support for WSRMP’s proposed state compensation fund for historical abuse claims, and legislative reform that stabilizes school liability.
Sources: WSRMP member invoices FY2022-23 through FY2026-27, 2025-26 WSRMP contribution quote, and district records FY2019-20 through FY2021-22. General liability includes general liability, investigation, errors & omissions and special education coverage. Background: Washington State Standard (June 2026); Washington Research Council (July 2026).