Bellingham, Washington – About 130 Washington school districts are facing steep increases in liability coverage costs as sexual abuse claims, including decades-old cases, drive up expenses for a statewide school risk pool.
Cascadia Daily News reported that members of the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool were first told to expect an 18% increase. In May, many districts learned the increase would average about 45% after claims costs rose sharply.
The pool lets districts share liability costs instead of buying traditional insurance. When one district faces a major claim or settlement, costs can rise for that district and for other members.
Officials said recent legal changes have increased exposure for school districts. Washington courts have affirmed that districts can be held strictly liable for abuse by employees, and changes to statute-of-limitations rules have allowed some survivors to bring claims tied to abuse from decades earlier.
The financial impact is already affecting budgets. Anacortes reported an unexpected $257,000 increase, while Meridian saw a $275,000 increase and Mount Vernon expects costs to rise by $621,000.
Advocates say survivors deserve compensation and stronger prevention. Risk pool officials say the state may need a compensation fund or more education funding to prevent liability costs from cutting into classrooms.
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