SELF’s Next Twenty-Five Years

In 1986 a group of school administrators and pool managers had the foresight and courage of conviction to create SELF. The commercial liability market was in crisis, liability insurance was sometimes not available at any price (one report cited that over 2/3 of local governmental agencies in California were operating without liability insurance) and insurance JPAs were generally in their infancy. At the time there were critics, either certain such an endeavor would fail or hoping it would.

The following 25 years disappointed our critics – since 1986 SELF has been the preferred choice of California schools and colleges for their excess liability coverage. During this time, SELF has remained true to its mission. We have paid over $225 million in claims on behalf of our members, built a balance sheet of over $200 million in assets, have operated openly and transparently, and worked hard to defend our motto that SELF is “Run by Schools, For Schools”.

However, as SELF enters its 25th year, the liability environment for California schools and colleges has changed. California education is facing historic fiscal challenges, liability claims are frequently valued into the many millions of dollars, and schools and colleges are being offered a variety of alternatives to SELF. There are many commercial insurance companies vigorously competing with each other (and SELF) and doing so at pricing that calls into question their longterm commitment, their ability to pay future claims, and their depth of understanding of the risks they are taking on. Moreover, SELF’s success has spawned broker-promoted JPA competition.

But even in this environment, SELF has been able to evolve and respond to the needs of California schools and colleges without straying from our core values. SELF will continue to look for ways to protect our members from evolving theories of liability; we will bring the best defense resources available to defend our members when they are sued; we will make resources available that help reduce the risk of injury or harm to students, staff, and the public; and we will do so with a fiscal discipline that is unwavering.