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NEW YORK SCHOOLS INSURANCE RECIPROCALCAL BOCES EDITION
WINTER 2016 NYS IR .ORG
NYSIRNews
– it belongs to everybody, after all –
there’s a seemingly endless array of physical property
involved in delivering it.
Buildings. Classroom supplies. Office furniture. Computers.
Science paraphernalia. Cafeteria appliances and
equipment. Tools. Grounds-keeping equipment. Buses, cars
and more. Much more. And keeping track
of it all isn’t just a nicety. It’s a necessity.
Having accurate property valuations is
essential when it comes to obtaining the
right insurance coverage for schools,
for instance. And under Government
Accounting Standards Board rules (GASB
34), school districts and BOCES are
required to adhere to a comprehensive
Continued on page 2.
It’s a Material World
For something as obviously non-proprietary as public education
Having accurate property
valuations is essential when
it comes to obtaining the
right insurance coverage
for schools.
Having accurate property
valuations is essential when
it comes to obtaining the
right insurance coverage
for schools.
NYSIR is a member-owned property and casualty insurer serving only New York State public schools and BOCES. Although many of NYSIR’s coverages, risk management programs and value-added services apply equally to all our subscribers, BOCES are different from districts, and deserve a newsletter customized to their singular needs and operational approaches. That’s why we’re delighted to introduce you to our special BOCES edition of the NYSIR News.
Continued on page 7
PAGE 2
Continued from front page.
framework for financial reporting
aimed at making annual reports
easier to understand and more
useful to taxpayers.
THE BOCES POV
If you think maintaining control of
all that property – knowing what
is exactly where and when − could
easily get out of hand, you’re right.
And it can be even worse for Boards
of Cooperative Educational
Services (BOCES), whose mission is to
provide shared services to a range of
school districts to help meet evolving
educational needs. BOCES property can
be found in a variety of offsite programs
operating out of schools or hospitals or
correctional facilities, for example, and
member school districts also use equipment
supplied through BOCES-related RICs,
or Regional Information Centers (see p. 4).
Keeping tabs on all of that property
is a big job, according to Ron Acebal,
National Director of CBIZ Valuation
Group, LLC. And an expensive
one. “BOCES need to first establish
and then update equipment
inventories across the board,”
he notes, and it’s fair to say that
correctly carrying out fixed-asset
inventories on a regular basis
can cost tens or even hundreds of
thousands of dollars. It’s a pricey
and time-consuming process, says
Acebal, which is why he recommends
effectively off-loading the responsibility
to an organization like NYSIR, an
insurance reciprocal owned and operated
by 354 school districts and
BOCES across New York State.
NO-COST APPRAISALS
Working with CBIZ, NYSIR
provides a Property Valuation
Program for BOCES that
includes no-cost fixed-asset
inventories and comprehensive
insurance appraisals to assist members
in establishing property values that
support both insurance and GASB 34
property cost-accounting requirements.
“We recognize the unique inventory and
appraisal needs of BOCES,” says Paul
Weinstein, Vice President and Director
of NYSIR Marketing and Subscriber
Support, “and we’ve tailored value-
enhanced services to help meet those
specific needs.”
Some of those services include:
Working with BOCES officials to
identify their particular inventory
thresholds, as well as their specific
fixed-asset processes and policies
Verifying locations where assets
can be found and identifying any
construction projects or leasehold
improvement activities in which a
BOCES has been involved
Conducting full walk-throughs
of campus-based locations and
administrative sites
And conducting inventories of
offsite programs in supported
districts and non-traditional facilities
Its a Material World, CONTINUED
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION
BOCES need to first establish and then update equipment inventories across the board.
1
2
3
4
We recognize the unique inventory and appraisal needs of BOCES
Keeping tabs
on all of that
property is a
big job.
PAGE 3
Equally as important – and
maybe even more important
in terms of budget constraints
faced by education
institutions all across New
York – NYSIR pays for
comprehensive property
valuations for BOCES
subscribers every five years. Working with
CBIZ, NYSIR allocates funding to conduct
those appraisals, according
to Acebal, who adds that
“it’s up to each district or
BOCES to decide when they
want that done. What we’ll
do is rotate through the
districts” on a schedule
that touches each of them
every five years.
In recognition of the some-
times wide and varied
distribution of BOCES
property, valuations also
can be conducted on
20 percent of a specific
BOCES’ locations each
year over a five-year
period to make things
more manageable.
The upshot, says NYSIR
Acting Executive Director
Thomas Austin, is that
BOCES are able to cost-effectively
avail themselves of a fixed-asset
inventory and insurance
appraisal program
customized to their
special requirements. “Our
BOCES subscribers –
currently there are 17
of them – are able to
maintain up-to-date
fixed-asset records as
they relate to GASB
34 regulations, and in
support of accurate
property values as they
pertain to insurance
placement and proof-of-
loss documentation.”
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION
WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE, NYSIR COVERAGES MAY HAVE SPECIAL APPEAL TO BOCES.
NYSIR pays forcomprehensive
property valuations for
BOCES subscribers every
five years.
BOCES areable to
cost-e�ectively avail themselves
of a fixedasset inventory and insurance
appraisalprogram
customizedto their special requirements.
NYSIR’s general liabilitycoverage for BOCES subscribers, for instance,
extends beyond
employees, student
teachers, school board
members and authorized
volunteers to include BOCES
employees who are working
as interim or acting school
officials. In addition, a blanket
$50,000 coverage limit
applies to miscellaneous
equipment associated
with any off-site BOCES
student work-study or intern
program on file with
NYSIR. (Additional limits
are available if needed)
To cover liability claims and
damage associated with
vehicles in the care, custody
or control of BOCES, NYSIR
also issues a Garage Liability
and Garage-Keepers policy
to all BOCES subscribers, at
no additional premium.
Also in NYSIR’s specialized
insurance package for
BOCES: coverages for
data breaches and cyber
liabilities; replacement
costs for BOCES-owned
buses 10 years old
or newer; and liability
insurance in connection
with the specified use
of unmanned drone
aircraft by authorized
employees or students
of BOCES.
PAGE 4
Centers (RICs), each
administratively aligned under a BOCES.
They include: Central New York (CNY) RIC,
Eastern Suffolk (SUFF) RIC, EduTech RIC,
Greater Southern Tier (GST) RIC, Lower
Hudson (LH) RIC, Mid-
Hudson (MH) RIC, Mohawk
(Mo) RIC, Monroe RIC,
Nassau RIC, Northeastern
(NE) RIC, South Central
(SC) RIC, and Western New
York (WNY) RIC.
Regionalizing services
through RICs means
school districts can take
advantage of a wider
range of technology,
increased buying power
and consistent technical
standards. It also creates
an increased need for
cutting-edge security and controls to
ensure data, records and equipment are
protected.
BEST PRACTICES
The Western New York (WNY) RIC
serves more than 100 school districts
in western New York State. The WNY
RIC is composed of the Erie 1, Erie 2,
Orleans/Niagara and Cattaraugus/
Allegany BOCES, and sets the bar for
best practices.
Jim Fregelette is the Executive Director
of Administration and Operations at
Erie 1 BOCES, a NYSIR subscriber. He
explains that to ensure the security
of the 90,000 computers in the WNY
RIC network, a monitoring system
continually checks for security breaches
and threats to any machines.
“We monitor every computer that’s
hooked up to our system,” according to
Fregelette. “The RIC
provides that service to
districts. We do security
patches and updates
on a nightly basis using an
end-point management
system to make sure
they have the most
up-to-date security on
their computers.”
A RIC not only monitors
the districts it supports
remotely, but its staff is
out in the field every day.
“We’re involved every
step of the way for most
schools’ technology,” says Fregelette.
Stephen Tibbetts, Assistant Superintendent
for Business at Southern Westchester
BOCES, suggests that having an outside
auditor assess a RIC is also an important
measure to consider.
“We had an independent auditor come in
to review our internal controls related
to data security in a SOC-1 audit. We’ve
received a certificate that says we’re in
compliance with the current standards for
data security. It’s a good thing for RICs to
consider doing,” Tibbetts explains.
Along with supplying computers and
networks to districts, RICs provide
Regional Information Centers: A Look at Best Practices and Customized Coverage
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION
Today there are 37 BOCES in New York with 12 Regional Information
Regionalizing services through
RICs means school districts
can take advantage of a wider range of
technology, increased buying
power and consistent technical
standards.
PAGE 5
training and support and help districts
set their own best practices. “We
provide storage, we provide backup and
we provide policy guidance on how it’s
done in each district,” notes Fregelette,
adding that it’s important to consider
what procedures are in place if an issue
arises. “A RIC should be guiding the
districts on what the best practices are
for each of their buildings.”
EQUIPMENT
Districts purchase significant amounts
of equipment through RICs. “It’s
an interesting relationship,” says
Tibbetts. “If something happens to
the equipment at that school district,
our BOCES insures it. NYSIR has
been great to work with on that.
We’ve had school districts that have
been flooded or had damage or theft,
and there’s never been an issue with
NYSIR in submitting a claim. They’re
just so responsive.”
Tibbetts also explains why NYSIR’s
Fixed-Asset Inventory and Insurance
Appraisal Program is so important for
RICs and BOCES. “It’s a huge benefit
because if we had to go out and secure
that ourselves, we would have to pay
$10,000-$15,000. I don’t know of
any other insurance company that would
come out and inventory everything
you’re insuring.”
NYSIR COVERAGEAND CUSTOMIZATION
Fregelette points out the importance of
RICs having appropriate insurance and
both first- and third-party coverage when
it comes to cyber-liability insurance.
As of the summer of 2016, NYSIR
incorporated cyber-risk insurance by
endorsement into its general liability
policy and now provides two-part data
security insurance − CyberOne™ and Data
Compromise insurance − at no additional
premium charge for all NYSIR member
districts and BOCES. The insurance covers
first-party direct costs for dealing with
breaches of privacy or failures of security,
as well as third-party claims made against
BOCES by affected individuals and
organizations or government entities
acting on their behalf.
The WNY RIC worked closely with Greg
Hawk, NYSIR Regional Manager for
Marketing and Subscriber Support for the
Buffalo/Rochester region, to customize its
coverage to suit its size and unique needs.
“When it comes to BOCES and RICs,
the NYSIR program is unique within the
industry,” says Hawk. “We are aware
of BOCES and their distinguishing
components in the educational arena,
and we tailor our servicing approach
with that in mind.”
“A one-size-fits-all approach sounds
good,” he adds, “but is definitely not the
approach NYSIR takes when it comes to
meeting the needs of BOCES and RICs.”
NYSIR takes a partnership approach
to accommodate each RIC and what it
offers its components.
“It’s that awareness that generates trust
within the RIC partnership. It allows us to
forge a solid risk management approach
and first-party insurance program, which
in turn establishes credibility within the
component BOCES-RIC relationship,”
says Hawk.
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION
PAGE 6
Peter N. LaDuca, Executive ManagerNassau BOCES Health and Safety Training and Information Services
Recently, an event occurred in a New
York State school that once again
brought to light the confusion that
continues to exist in emergency
response procedures, specifically related
to lockdown and lockout.
In the above instance,
a community resident
thought she observed four
men, two of whom
had shotguns, walking
into a preserve area
adjacent to a high school
and two elementary
schools. The woman
contacted police, who
alerted the high school
based on her report.
In discussion with the
police department, district
administrators were
advised to lock down the
high school and other
nearby schools. School administrators
indicated they believed it ought to be a
lockout situation, but the police
insisted they were to lock down their
buildings. Not wanting to go
against police direction, the district
complied, even though officials
knew better. Fortunately, the report
ultimately turned out to be
false, but the confusion remains.
While on the surface it may appear
that, aside from disrupting the school
day, no harm was done,
there is further reason
for concern. During a
lockdown, students
in classes being held
outside have been trained
to move away from the
building. Fortunately,
the district had ensured
that all students were
inside before going into
lockdown. Had they not
been, in this instance
students would have
been moving directly
toward the preserve −
exactly where the danger
had been reported.
It must be emphasized that a LOCKDOWN
is called in a school building when
the threat is already in the building.
Emergency Response Protocols for Schools
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION
Administrators were advised
to lock down the high school
and other nearby schools. School administrators indicated they
believed it ought to be a lockout
situation, but the police insisted they were to
lock down their buildings.
PAGE 7
Although it may be a rare occurrence, it is the
most serious situation a school can face (an
example might be an active shooter) and should
result in the following:n A communication with those
outside the building to move
away from the building or not
to return to the buildingn Everyone (including security
and facilities staff) are
locked down in the nearest
safe location at that moment
in timen Classroom teachers quickly
check hallways for students
before locking the door
and getting everyone out
of sight and quietn Lights, blinds, door-view glass
all remain as isn Persons remain in lockdown until physically
released by emergency responders
A LOCKOUT is called when the threat is outside the building. It is a much more common
occurrence (an example might be police activity
in the area) and results in:n Communication with those
outside to quickly return to
the buildingn All exterior doors are locked
and monitoredn Generally, no one enters or exits
the buildingn Interior building activities
continue as normaln A lockout remains in effect
until an announcement is made
for release
All schools should review their
lockdown and lockout procedures during safety
team meetings, and in coordination with local
emergency responders.
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION
All schoolsshould reviewtheir lockdown
and lockout procedures
during safetyteam meetings,
and in coordination with local emergency
responders.
Continued from front page.
This new publication is the first of two planned for biennial distribution exclusively to BOCES members who are part of the NYSIR family, and its purpose is to address topics of particular interest to BOCES. In this issue, for instance, you’ll find articles about Regional Information Centers, emergency response protocols and the particular value of property appraisals to BOCES.
And while you’ll find an emphasis on the different needs of BOCES, we hope you’ll also discern the many similarities between BOCES and NYSIR, especially the cooperative nature of each organization, their common goals of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and the belief that a shared purpose makes us all stronger.
We’re continually looking for new and inventive ways to provide value to BOCES, and we’re interested in your feedback. Please feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] with any thoughts, ideas or experiences from your BOCES that can be shared in a future edition.
PAGE 8
Shoes don’t talk. but the men and women who wear them do, and sometimes listening to people who’ve walked a
mile or two in yours can make a difference. Here are some thoughts about the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal from BOCES officials and administrators
from across New York… in their own words.
You feel like
NYSIR is going
to support whatever
you need to do to
get things back and
running and fixed in
a timely manner. The
organization allows
flexibility for schools
to be able to alert
them of an incident,
and they tell us to do
whatever you need
to do to get it fixed
and they’ll support us.
I’ve been with BOCES
for 14 years, and
when we’ve had a
claim there’s never an issue. The response
times have been great, even after
Superstorm Sandy. Within hours, they
had people here doing the remediation
and repair.
STEPHEN TIBBETTSASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICESSOUTHERN WESTCHESTER BOCES
We have always
found NYSIR to be
an engaging partner in our
efforts to promote safety
and risk management
initiatives within OCM
BOCES and our local school
districts. Having access to
high-caliber professionals
and their expertise has been
a tremendous resource. Our
cooperative efforts with NYSIR have
included the development and
delivery of multiple safety training
workshops to assist school districts
with relevant safety and risk issues.
Our partnership with NYSIR is active
throughout the entire year, and
has developed well beyond the
traditional relationship between
carrier and insured.
DAVID L. DAIGNAULT, CSPCOORDINATOR OF HEALTH AND SAFETYOCM BOCES
Erie 1 BOCES/WNY RIC has
benefitted greatly through the
partnership of CBIZ and NYSIR.
WNY RIC provides services for 100
districts in western New York, and
faces a tremendous challenge in
keeping track of the technology
inventory that’s part of those services
in the districts it supports. Because
Erie 1 is a member of NYSIR, CBIZ
conducts inventory audits to help
ensure an accurate accounting of RIC
equipment, auditing 20
percent of the districts
annually at no additional
cost. That saves Erie 1
thousands of dollars
annually, and is part of
the added value of
belonging to NYSIR.
JIM FREGELETTE , DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, ERIE 1 BOCES
In Their Own Words
WINTER 2016NYSIR NEWS BOCES EDITION