Board weighs health plan audit addition, GEAR UP and athletic trainer partnerships

The board discussed several operating contracts and grant items, including a proposed audit of the district's group health plan, an extension of the GEAR UP grant, and a sports‑medicine partnership that subsidizes athletic trainer coverage and sideline physicians.

Staff and vendors justified the health‑plan audit as a best practice that can identify rebate or pricing issues and clinical compliance questions; staff said similar audits in other districts have returned substantial recoveries. Miss Schultz, who presented the audit scope, said auditors would review discount and dispensing performance, rebate calculations and generic classifications. A vendor representative cautioned that results cannot be guaranteed but described typical recoveries as a multiple of the audit cost.

On the GEAR UP item board members asked whether invoicing was session‑based or a flat fee; staff explained the extension covers an additional year of grant activity, that $750,000 remained and about 10% of that was earmarked for therapeutic services and other student supports, and staff agreed to provide cohort counts on return.

The board also discussed a proposed contract to fund sideline doctors, athletic trainers and EMS support at larger events; staff said district contribution was relatively small ($66,000) compared with partner contributions from multiple hospitals and the Jaguars organization, and board members praised the program for injury screening and emergency response improvements.