CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Homeowners aren't the only ones seeing higher insurance premiums these days, so are area school districts. For Flour Bluff ISD, it's to the point where school leaders say passing a balanced budget is getting more difficult to do.
On Tuesday, school board members turned to state leaders to help come up with solutions to the problem. Flour Bluff school board members conducted a roundtable discussion on significant increases in property and casualty insurance premiums and the impact it's having on the district's budget.
"We're at the point where we are going to have to stop insuring things in order to give teachers raises," one board member said.
The district's current premium, is just over $3.2 million. In school year 2021, it was just over $1.4 million.
That significant increase was made despite the district not having to file any major wind or hail claims.
"It's finally coming to a point where we've turned over every stone in the budget and it's really hurting our ability to take care of our staff and our students the way we need to," Superintendent Chris Steinbruck said.
The superintendent said the out-of-control cost is keeping them from using that money on district needs such as competitive teacher salaries and capital improvement projects for aging facilities.
"You look at 80 percent of our budget is in salary, so outside of that you have a limited amount of money to take care of what needs to be taken care of," Steinbruck said.
Officials say they are paying the price for being on the coast even though they receive the same level of funding as other schools across the state.
"And the fires in Bastrop, we're paying for all of that but no one is paying for our risks," Board Member Dr. Jim Needham said.
"If we were like Floresville with the premium they have, we would have an extra $2.5 million in our budget to take care of those things, we're just asking for a level playing field," Steinbruck said.
And Flour Bluff ISD isn't alone.
"Port A -- if you look at the basic allotment -- Port A is having to spend $2,100 per kid on insurance, for us it's $500," Steinbruck said. "Port Aransas, they got worse than we have right now."
"It's all a battle of money," State Rep. Todd Hunter said.
Hunter and Senator Morgan LaMantia took part in the roundtable discussion and listened to the board's concerns to help come up with legislative solutions.
"There are costs and expenses that are taking away from necessary expenses our whole point is to have schools teach our kids they don't need to be hit with these unnecessary costs especially these discriminatory windstorm costs," Hunter said.
The board is considering potential options that could include less coverage. One of those options would mean a higher deductible; another would only focus on operational facilities.
They're hoping lawmakers can help make the difference.
Hunter told 3NEWS that he will hold hearings in August and September which are focused on insurance.
School leaders said they are planning to advocate any way they can to help lessen the burden area school districts are facing.