Bay District Schools board approves accident insurance for students

My Panhandle | By Alex Schley | June 27, 2023

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Bay District Schools board members voted to begin a new student insurance program this fall.

All students will be covered for accidents through an Orlando-based company called KidGuard.

The board originally considered only insuring students participated in extracurricular activities like athletics.

However, they finally decided to make all students eligible.

The program will cost a little more than $90,000.

Chief Financial Officer Jim Loyed anticipates 21,000 students will take advantage of the coverage.

“This is not health insurance,” Loyed said. “Like I got a stuffy nose. Health insurance. It’s accidental insurance. If I fall and break my leg on the playground. Well, if you don’t have health insurance, then obviously you would need some sort of insurance. And so the board has chosen to provide that insurance.”

Bay District Schools used to offer students optional insurance coverage, but that program was discontinued some years ago.