Schools, Public Housing Feeling Insurance Pinch

Statewide school districts insurance bill totaled $178 million this year. That's more than an 80 percent increase over last year, according to the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.

Public housing authorities also are feeling the pinch.

WHITE: The problem in public housing is we have an annual budget we allocate a certain amount of money for certain things and a portion goes to insurance. And when you have a large increase the money has got to come from somewhere

Tampa Housing Authority Commissioner Gerald White says their insurance premiums jumped by more than a half million dollars this year.

WHITE: And we just hate to take money we have for crisis and families in emergencies and just spend it on regular insurance just to keep a premium. That's a real problem.

A solution White would like to see is the creation of a regional insurance pool, where state, county and local government agencies can share risks.