Cherokee ISD has been awarded a loss prevention grant of $2000 for the 6th consecutive year from the Texas Association of School Boards' (TASB) Risk Management Fund. Grant monies help implement loss prevention and safety initiatives to raise awareness of safety issues and reduce the potential for property losses and on-the-job injuries. This award is part of $550,000 in grants the Fund gave this year to 242 Texas school districts and education entities. Since 1998, the Fund's Loss Prevention Grant Program has distributed 2,230 total grants of more than $5.62 million to Fund members in the workers' compensation and property and auto programs."More than ever, the need to prevent losses and protect employees is critical because the Fund's members are facing many challenges and making difficult choices," said Clem Zabalza, director of TASB Loss Prevention Services. "Vigilant of changing member needs, we have been successful in protecting valuable resources through education and providing monies for identified exposures. The Fund remains steadfast in its commitment to continue giving back to its members, especially in these uncertain financial times," he said.The 2012 grants were awarded to 227 school districts, 5 regional education service centers, 2 county appraisal districts, 7 community colleges, and 1 shared service arrangement. Workers' compensation grants focused on fall prevention, personal lifting devices, and personal protection equipment. Facilities security initiatives, driver improvement, and vehicle safety were the primary areas receiving grants under the property and auto programs."This year's program was highly competitive, and the selection is always a hard task because applicants closely examine their exposures and how to best address their needs," Zabalza said."For the past 15 years, the Fund Board has made this program possible by its commitment to provide resources that put priority on preventing losses and elevating safety in the workplace. The Loss Prevention Grant Program has been vital in raising awareness and reducing injuries and losses. We will continue to champion the needs of our members so they can educate their staffs about workplace safety and resource protection. The Fund is dedicated to a strong partnership with our members to support their loss prevention and safety initiatives," he said.The TASB Risk Management Fund is the premier provider of risk management services for school districts and education entities in Texas. With more than 1,100 members, the Fund is one of the oldest, largest, and financially strongest risk pools in the nation. The Fund provides coverage through its unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, and property, liability, and auto programs. In addition, it offers a wide range of services and member benefits, such as loss prevention, free member training, online claim forms and resources, and grant programs.TASB is a voluntary nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local Texas school districts. School board members are the largest groups of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 4.9 million public school students.