About Us - Organization of Self-Insured Schools

The OSS Joint Powers Authority (JPA) was created in 1986 by a group of Central Valley educators to provide quality liability and property damage insurance at reduced rates. OSS is the ideal size because it is large enough to obtain the benefits of a large organization but small enough to deal with the unique needs of each member district.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Organization of Self-Insured Schools Joint Powers Authority (OSS JPA) is to provide a competitive and broad property and liability insurance program and a proactive risk management program to reduce exposures and improve loss experience for members. Since its inception, the Authority has recognized the unique needs of its greatly diverse membership; and remains focused on supporting and accommodating the educational needs of districts in the Central Valley.

Accreditation

As with educational institutions, accreditation by a recognized accrediting organization has been one way of ensuring standards are established and met. Accreditation is a factor taken into consideration when excess insurance rates are quoted. The JPA has received Accreditation with Excellence status by the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA) and the accreditation is renewed on a regular basis. Only thirty-five out of the hundreds of JPAs in California have received this level of accreditation.