Board says Optum settlement near completion; approves contracts, accepts nurse resignation and discusses FY27 calendar

Board administrator Peter Nielsen told the board that a proposed settlement with Optum had reached a number in principle and that attorneys were negotiating the final language. Nielsen said paperwork was being drafted and that while attorneys were optimistic it could be finalized in “a few days,” no signed agreement existed yet.

The board accepted a resignation from school nurse Deborah Hilton and approved continuing contract nominations for Caitlin Pico (special education) and Chloe Lawrence (grade 2) as well as probationary contract nominations for Mark Phillips (music educator) and Maria Miner (health educator). Motions were made and seconded and the board recorded voice approval in the meeting; no detailed roll‑call votes were recorded in the transcript.

Board members also reviewed the FY27 calendar and discussed alignment with the AOS calendar, constraints from late Labor Day and early Juneteenth, workshop day scheduling and early‑release days. Members agreed to bring the calendar to a formal vote for adoption and to share a color‑coded version on the website for parents.

During public comment, resident Derek Harlucci asked that the board place a discussion of student device screen time and its relationship to test scores on a future agenda; Harlucci referred to national testing and local assessment concerns. Another member of the public cited a front‑page news story about public‑comment rules and asked whether the district would revise its policy; the chair replied that a sample revised public‑comment policy had been circulated to board chairs and that changes could be expected.