Certificates of Insurance

A Certificate of Insurance is a document issued by an insurance company that certifies that an insurance policy has been bought and shows an abstract of the most important provisions of the insurance contract. But it is not a substitute for the actual policy. The limits and type of coverage required for outside firms should be included in any contract or agreement, or request for proposals or service quotations. Please contact the Office of Risk Management for assistance on what type of insurance coverage should be requested if these limits are not already specified in Limited Contract Agreements (LCA) or contracts written and approved by the Office of General Counsel. Receipt of a certificate should match the basic requirements in the supporting document for it to be meaningful.

Certificate of Insurance Requirements

  • School Trips
  • Charter and Renaissance Schools
  • Athletic Program
  • Request for Self Insured Letter
  • Tenant User Liability Insurance Program (TULIP)
  • Contract Compliance
  • Other Activities
  • Limited Contracts (LCAs)
  • Pre-Approved List of Trip Locations

Charter & Renaissance Schools Insurance Requirements

Please Note:

(1) This summary is issued as a matter of information and does not modify, amend or alter any legal or contractual duties.

(2) The insurance requirements set forth in the Charter and Renaissance school charter agreements are not intended and shall not be construed to modify, limit or reduce the indemnification obligations of the Charter or Renaissance school, its officers, employees or agents.

Type of Insurance Terms Amounts (not less than)
Commercial General Insurance General Aggregate Including bodily injury, property damage or both $2,000,000
Fire or Fire Legal Liability $500,000
Medical Expenses (any one person) $5,000
Products and completed operations Aggregate $2,000,000
Per Occurrence Limit $1,000,000
Personal and Advertising Injury $1,000,000
Automobile Combined Single limits for all owned/ hired / non-owned vehicles $1,000,000
Workers’ Compensation Workers’ Compensation coverage Statutory limits for the Commonwealth of PA
Employer’s Liability $100,000
Each Accident – Bodily Injury by Accident $100,000
Each Injury by Disease $500,000
Professional Liability / Educators Legal Liability/ Malpractice / Errors and Omissions The Charter School shall obtain a Sexual Molestation and Child Abuse Endorsement General Occurrence / Aggregate $1,000,000 / $2,000,000
Directors and Officers Directors and Officers $1,000,000
Excess / Umbrella Policy shall schedule all underlying coverages required under the Charter $4,000,000
Additional Requirements Insurance must be written by carriers:

  • Authorized to do business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Insurance companies must have an A.M. best rating of “A” or better
  • The Charter’s liability coverages must contain the following endorsement, “The School Reform Commission and the School District of Philadelphia, its officers, employees and agents are named as additional insureds ATIMA.”

 

School District of Philadelphia Policy & Procedures Regarding Special Release of Pupils

Overnight School Trips

I. Overnight trips are costly and involve risks to pupils: therefore, approval will be given only for trips that have very significant educational value. These trips must be approved in advance by the Regional Superintendent and the Office for School Operations.

II. Trips to recreational areas or to any location with swimming or boating facilities are not to be approved unless adequate supervision is provided. Trips to amusement parks are not approved.

III. Trips that involve skiing, ice skating or tobogganing may be approved for pupils in grades 5 through 12 provided that these sports are a part of the Physical Education purpose of study and a letter of support for the trip from the Division of Physical Education is submitted with the EH-81. Sport trips are not approved unless adequate supervision is provided.

IV. Supervision for trips must be one adult per ten pupils. In addition to the adult supervision provided for trips, the following personnel and/or services must be provided for specialized trips:

A. Swimming or boating – an adult certified in one of the following:

Senior Lifesaving (American Red Cross)
Philadelphia School District Swimming Certificate
Water Safety Instructor (American Red Cross)
Y.M.C.A. Pool Director Certification

B. Skiing

Certified ski instructor (may be a staff member at the resort)
First Aid facilities

C. Ice Skating

Instructor (may be a staff member at the rink)
First Aid facilities

E. Other Sport Trips

An adult certified in the sport
First Aid facilities

V. Trips that exclude pupils who cannot meet financial costs are not approved.

VI. Trips which are sponsored by individual staff members or travel agencies are clearly not sanctioned by the School District. No meetings to promote such trips can be held on School District property. There is to be no dissemination of information, collection of funds, use of class lists, or solicitation of pupils. School District equipment (e.g. mimeograph and copying machines) and materials (e.g. permission slips) may not be utilized for such trips. Recruitment for non-sanctioned trips cannot take place during school hours.

VII. Student absences caused by participation in non-sanctioned trips will be coded as unexcused. This should be communicated to all students and parents as well as staff members or agencies who are sponsoring trips.

VIII. Private vehicles may not be used by school personnel to transport pupils on trip.

IX. All school trips must be carefully planned. School trips that involve an overnight stay in some public accommodation require greater planning than day school trips. The planning process must involve the following steps:

A. The Regional Superintendent is to be fully informed of all details of the trip at least thirty (30) school days prior to trip, no commitments are to be made, or money collected, of fund-raising campaigns initiated, until full approval has been obtained.

B. Approval from the Office for School Operations is to be obtained by the Regional Superintendent.

C. Requests for trips outside the continental United States must be reviewed and approved by the Associate Superintendent for School Operations and the Superintendent of Schools. Requests for trips outside the continental United States must be received by the Regional Superintendent at least fifty (50) schools days before the anticipated date of the trip.

D. If approval is given for an overnight trip, the following procedures must be followed:

1. Form EH-81 must be forwarded to the Regional Superintendent in accordance with the provisions of Policy and Procedure #103.3 sections IX. A. of IX. C.

2. Off-Premises Special Events (Field Trips) Accident Insurance for all participants is mandatory.

a. The teacher/sponsor of the trip will complete the application form and forward the form with the EH-81 to the Regional Superintendent will forward the insurance application to the Office of Risk Management ten (10) school days prior to the trip.

b. The Office of Risk Management will issue a Proof of Insurance form and send it to the school.

c. The teacher/sponsor will take the Proof of Insurance form along on the trip and use it when needed.

d. If a participant is injured during the trip, the school will assist the injured person (claimant) in submitting claims to the insurance company.

3. As indicated in point IV above, there must be one adult for each ten (10) pupils to assist in supervision, particularly in the event of an emergency. If a pupil or pupils are missing from the group an adult must remain at the site to assist in the return of the pupil(s).

4. For all trips outside of the continental United States, a ratio of at least one adult to every five (5) pupils must exist.

5. All trips outside the continental United States must be arranged by travel agencies approved by the International Association of Travel Agents.

Athletic Programs

Athletic events may only take place at approved site venues. However, non-School District schools must provide current insurance information before they are allowed to participate on District sites.