Louis R. Guizzetti, Executive Director

Giving Back to Michigan’s Public Schools

We at SET SEG have tremendous respect for work of Michigan’s public schools and for their administrators, teachers and support staff. In public service, there is no job of greater importance than educating children and preparing them to be the leaders of the future.

SET SEG provides insurance services only to public schools and education-related organizations, including the professional state associations that support schools. Because we are so closely aligned to public schools, we demonstrate our support for them in many ways. Among them:

We are the sole sponsor of the MASB Education Excellence Awards. This two-phase program honors approximately 30 schools that have implemented original educational programs that significantly enhance student achievement. From the initial group of winners, nine programs are selected as “Michigan’s Best” in their category. These exemplary programs are recognized at the fall conference of the Michigan Association of School Boards. SET SEG gives each Michigan’s Best winner a check for $1,500 to help perpetuate and enhance its winning program.

Another way we support public schools is through the work of the SET SEG Educational Foundation. Our Foundation is less than two years old, but already has provided a total of $5,000 in scholarship funds to five high schools in Michigan. The schools used the scholarship money to send students to the Michigan Association Student Councils/Michigan Association of Honor Societies Summer Leadership Camp. While some winning schools used the scholarship funds to pay the entire camp registration fee for up to four students, others apportioned it among many more students. A total of 46 students from the five districts attended Leadership Camp and learned skills that will help them improve their schools, communities and their future.

Because SET SEG is a non-profit organization, it regularly returns accumulated assets to districts that participate in its programs.

• The SEG Self-Insurer Workers’ Compensation Fund has distributed $167 million to schools that participate in our workers’ compensation program--$8 million of that sum in the 2007-2008 coverage year alone. This return has taken the form of surplus, dividends and premium reductions.
•  Members of the MASB-SEG Property/Casualty Pool have shared $85 million in surplus and dividends since the Pool’s inception in 1986. Of that amount, $5.5 million was returned to members in 2007-2008.
•  In 2007, districts that participated in one of our life insurance programs shared $250,000 in dividends.

Our Health Savings Account (HSA) programs are also giving school employees the opportunity to build a nest egg to pay for future health care expenses. More than 100 school districts have employees enrolled in a high-deductible health plan with an HSA. Unexpended funds in an HSA roll forward, tax-free, to be used for future health care expenses, even those incurred in retirement.

Giving back to school districts in Michigan is one way we show our gratitude for allowing us to serve them.  Providing innovative products and a high level of service are other ways we demonstrate thanks for the opportunity to serve.  Your comments and observations are welcome.

 Feel free to send your thoughts to us at info@setseg.org.

 --Louis R. Guizzetti, Executive Director