Austin Public Schools is exploring ways to get better health care for its employees at a lower cost.

District officials are looking into a partnership with Mayo Clinic Health System to build on-site clinics in school buildings.

Director Mark Stotts said the district hopes this would lower health insurance costs. Leaders toured the clinic at Quality Pork Processors Inc., which opened last year, and they hope to do something similar with Mayo Clinic Health System.

“The whole goal is convenience for your employee and to provide lower heath insurance cost,” Stotts said.

According to Stotts, health insurance premiums have gone up slightly in the last few years, but nothing dramatic. He said this year was a good year, so they were able to continue building funds.

According to Superintendent David Krenz, the clinics may be offered to employees first and then hopefully advance the care to student’s and their families. The clinics would have either a registered doctor’s assistant or a registered nurse to help with more specific health needs, versus having a general nurse for emergencies and to hand out medications. They have looked into many different ways to lower health insurance costs over the years, and both Krenz and Stotts said this potential partnership has nothing to do with the Affordable Health Care Act.

“This is just another way, we think, to help reduce health insurance costs,” Krenz said.

But the district is still a long way off from making this happen. District leaders came up with the idea about four months ago and spoke with the Mayo Clinic sometime last month, but they are still in the preliminary stages.

“We’re not even in the planning phases,” Stotts said.

If the district moves forward, leaders would need to decide if they wanted to put a clinic in each of the nine schools, or where the clinics would best benefit users.

Krenz said there are no specific timelines, since they are still in the preliminary stages.

QPP’s clinic, which is operated by Illinois company Medcor, provides primary care appointments, prescriptions, referrals and help with long-term medical treatment to stave off higher medical costs.

Mayo Clinic Health System officials confirmed they’ve been in talks with school leaders, but declined to comment further.

—Trey Mewes contributed to this report.