Legal Question in Insurance Law in Washington

The answer depends on the documents you signed, and how the check is written; but generally speaking, if you've signed off on making any other claims against the school/grounds keepers, and if the check isn't double-addressed to you and a body shop, it shouldn't matter what you use it for, since your car was damaged to the extent of the cost of the paint repair.

But to be safe, look at the documents that came with or in regards to the check, and see if there are any stipulations. Most likely, you signed a Release, in which case it shouldn't matter what you do with the money. If you want to be really cautious, bring the check and all documents about this into a lawyer's office, and see if it can be reviewed quickly and cheaply. It shouldn't take but a few minutes.