San Marcos

A high school teacher’s plan to use a cadaver in his physiology classes has been stopped by the San Marcos Unified School District’s Board of Trustees.

The board’s 4-to-1 action came Monday night after district Supt. William Streshly told trustees that it could cost more than $20,000 to insure students’ use of the cadaver.

San Marcos High School teacher Jan Mongoven had hoped to use the cadaver as a teaching tool in his advanced science classes. In June, the board approved the idea and Mongoven requested a cadaver from the UC San Diego Medical School, which provides specimens not needed by medical students for other area campuses. The body was due to arrive next month.

But two weeks ago, officials with the district’s insurance company, Industrial Indemnity Co., said they would not provide coverage for the cadaver, which they called “an unacceptable exposure.” Inquiries with other companies yielded coverage estimates of $20,000 or higher, too high a price in the board’s estimation.