The Idaho School District Council has completed its thirty-sixth year of operation as a cooperative service agency, serving Idaho school districts and affiliate organizations.  The following report is provided to the membership and is being made available on the ISDC website www.idsdc.org for review by the general public.

 

The staff of the ISDC continued to serve the membership as in the previous year.  Dr. Michael Friend served his second year as the part-time ISDC Executive Director, and Debbie Fausett completed her fourth year as the Office Manager.

 

Throughout the course of the year, there were many opportunities to review the various services of the Council’s operation.  Website hits increased from the previous year.  As a continuation of its efforts to provide quality supplies, good service, and low prices, the Council’s e-commerce site experienced increased utilization.  Formal agreements continued with WAXIE and the King County Director’s Association (KCDA) to enhance the offerings to the member districts.  Business relationships with Costco, Corporate Express, Interstate Batteries, and Toshiba Business Solutions were also maintained. 

 

The Council has been reviewing the issue of long-term care insurance for several years.  MasterCare Solutions has been selected as the endorsed provider of long term insurance programs by the ISDC Board.  MetLife is the underwriter of the ISDC program.

 

The Council had a visible presence as an exhibitor at the Idaho School Boards’ Association Convention, the Idaho School Superintendents’ Association Annual Meeting and the Idaho Association of School Business Official’s Convention.  Through this exposure, the role and mission of the Council has been reinforced. The Council staff also presented a break-out session at the IASBO Convention in June 2008.

 

The partnerships with Blue Cross of Idaho, Willamette Dental of Idaho, Standard Life Insurance, Employers Unity, Inc., Valuation Northwest, and Business Psychology Associates were renewed and strengthened through on-going communications.  At the Council Board’s direction, the staff continues to seek business partnerships that will offer products and services for Council member consideration at a reduced price.  The Council’s Unemployment Claims Monitoring Program was reviewed and People Systems was endorsed as the new provider, effective October 1, 2008.

 

For the past few years, the Council has been able to provide a refund based on its Surplus Premium Agreement with Blue Cross of Idaho.  This Agreement provides a sharing of the risks as well as the profits in the partnership between Blue Cross of Idaho and the ISDC.  We have sought to reach a 91% target-loss ratio, striving to have the premiums collected and the claims paid, balance.  This year there will be no refunds because of the attainment of that goal.

 

There were some significant changes made in the 2008-09 renewal benefits for the Statewide Schools Health Insurance Program, including the provision of wellness/preventative “first dollar benefit” of $500 and a benefit of $1,000 for colonoscopies; a Basic Plan was offered with a high deductible, high out-of-pocket benefit with the hope to include more of the State’s uninsured population in the SWS Program; the $25,000 claim ceiling was raised to $50,000 for purposes of spreading high claims across the pool; and the $100 and $200 deductibles were removed from the matrix of offerings to the school districts.  These and other changes are a result of the work by both the Council and its health insurance partner, Blue Cross of Idaho.

 

In March 2007, the ISDC Board commissioned a study of the Statewide Schools Health Insurance Program.  The results of that study were presented in November and December of 2007 by Bob Robinson, Executive Director of the Montana Unified School Trust, and Kelly Grebinsky, Principal Senior Actuary from Actuaries Northwest.  The study was designed to evaluate the current health program with respect to the following:

 

• Strengths and weaknesses of the current program
• Areas of cost concern as well as plan efficiencies
• Program options to eliminate or add to help control premiums
• Strategies to increase the influence of the Council governance structure
• Program options to enhance wellness and illness prevention

 

The study will be used as a blueprint for Board consideration and future actions.  The complete study is available on the ISDC website.

 

As a part of the staff responsibilities, various issues of statewide concern are also monitored.  The Health Care Task Force and the Office of Performance of Evaluation have met to discuss issues of the uninsured and health care costs.  The OPE reports directly to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee (JLOC), as well as to the germane committees in the Idaho Senate and House.  Monitoring the discussions of such groups continues to enable the Council to be informed of the issues and to provide input as appropriate. 

 

Two Idaho districts have already met the new GASB45 regulations, with many more districts required to meet the new regulations during the 2008-09 school year.  The Council continues to provide support to the school districts in addressing this issue.  An endorsement of the services of Actuaries Northwest was granted by the ISDC Board of Directors.

 

Regional meetings have been scheduled for October 2008 to replace the Spring Renewal Meetings.  The purpose of the fall meetings will be to receive input from the member districts regarding Council activities and programs.  Seeking this information will assist the staff and Board in its work with the various partners to better meet the needs of the districts.

 

The membership of the ISDC for the 2007-08 school year totaled 142 members.  This total represents 112 school districts, five affiliates, 23 charter schools, one parochial school, and COSSA.

 

There were 123 members enrolled in the Statewide Schools Health Insurance Program and 91 members enrolled in the Statewide Schools Dental Insurance.  Forty-three members offered the Willamette Dental option to their employees.

 

Sixty-nine members participate in the professional appraisal service offered by Valuations Northwest.

 

Standard Life Insurance, a long-time ISDC endorsee, was offered as a benefit in 63 districts.

 

Nearly $679,785 of cooperative purchasing was handled through the ISDC office during the year.

 

The unemployment claims monitoring program had 20 participants while the workman’s compensation monitoring program had only one participating district.

 

Employee assistance programs, offered through Business Psychology Associates and endorsed by both the Council and Blue Cross of Idaho, were offered in 17 districts.

 

Three members made arrangements with Actuaries Northwest for GASB45 services.

 

 

 

 

This report was prepared by Mike Friend, Executive Director and Debbie Fausett, Office Manager and presented to the Board of Directors on August 8, 2008.