Trophies to cost $7,800, insurance coverage pending

Nineteen reproductions of national FFA awards belonging to Ritzville High School have been completed at a cost of $7,883.26, according to the Ritzville School Board.

School board members approved the general fund accounts payable on Dec. 19, including a payment to Wildrose Graphics for $3,941.63 for creating the replacement plaques. Only one board member, Shannon Flynn, voted against the measure. Flynn said she is opposed to spending the public’s money to replace the awards.

Just how the replacement awards will be paid for is not certain. The district has submitted the bill for the replacements to its insurance carrier, hoping to be reimbursed for the cost of the plaques, less the district’s deductible.

The saga of the FFA trophies was first discussed publically during a Feb. 22, 2011, school board meeting. Back then, the public was told the trophies were damaged while being moved and FFA advisor Brad Gering discarded them.

In the months that followed, a number of twists and turns in the discussion arose, accompanied by a steady stream of public comment regarding the issue.

In May, the school board considered a new policy regarding the handling of trophies. The policy spells out how trophies earned by students will be handled by district personnel in the future. According to that policy, “All trophies/plaques won in athletics, clubs or other school groups will be kept and displayed at the school. The building principal must approve any trophies/plaques that are being removed from display. The principal will determine if the removed trophies/plaques should be placed in storage, recycled and/or disposed.”

Whether or not the district’s insurance company will cover all or part of the replacement expenses is yet to be seen. How the district will cover the expense if the insurance company declines to pay, has not been disclosed.