By Rupert Howell
Acceptance of insurance quotes to cover South Panola School District brought displeasure to an agent who claimed they were received on an, “uneven playing field.”

Brian K. Johnson who is a senior vice-president with Bottrell Insurance Agency and who is the district’s current insurance carrier, complained to district trustees prior to a vote Tuesday approving the recommendation of District Finance Director David Rubenstein.

Johnson, who was allowed to speak although not scheduled on Tuesday’s agenda, later said he was not asked to quote bus insurance for the same buses as the successful bidder and he was pressured to turn in his proposal June 1, a deadline he said he could not meet, and asked why proposals were accepted even after his was turned in.

Johnson’s bid for legal liability was accepted during Tuesday’s meeting but Johnson later stated, “I cannot let . . .that line of coverage stand alone. My bid was a combined bid and is appears you (Rubenstein) broke a piece of my proposal and combined it with the other agent.”

Superintendent Tim Wilder later said the decision to accept Liberty Mutual’s  bid of $256,280 plus Johnson’s quote of $54,130 for legal liability was a good financial decision that saved $30,000 for the same insurance.

Insurance goes into effect July 1 for the 2015-16 school year.