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They tried to come up with an agreement, but a settlement between the Collier County School Board and former Superintendent Ray Baker is no closer to being solved.

School Board Attorney Richard Withers said Tuesday that an executive session with the Collier County School Board made progress, but not enough to go back to a court-ordered mediator with a settlement. He said district council will ask that the case move forward to trial.

“We are willing to keep talking, but we were not able to reach a settlement,” he said. “But it was a good session. Everyone was able to get some stuff off their chests.”

Withers said the district will keep talking and said a settlement is not off the table.

The executive session was not open to the public.

The board and Baker were ordered to go to mediation before a judge would move Baker’s lawsuit against the district to trial.

In the lawsuit Baker contends School Board Chairwoman Linda Abbott and School Board members Steve Donovan and Richard Calabrese conspired against him by communicating in secret and with each other, in violation of the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law, to declare his contract void before the board voted 3-2 to fire him at a July 31, 2007, meeting.

Baker has requested a judge rule that he enjoy all rights and benefits under his contract, including the right to serve as superintendent, until any lawful termination or expiration of his term. Baker’s contract, before the board voided it, was to expire June 30, 2009.