On Jan. 6 the Faribault Public Schools Board of Education approved “reorganization plan Option D” in a 4-3 roll-call vote after more than an hour of public comment and trustee debate.

The plan approved by the board centralizes early childhood (pre-K) and kindergarten programming, merges pre-K and K staff, consolidates grades 1–5 into two elementary buildings, and calls for facility work at McKinley to house the district’s Area Learning Center (ALC). The motion to approve Option D passed with trustees Linda Boudreaux, Candice Knutson, Chad Wolf and John Bellingham voting yes; trustees Linda Moore, Jerry Robichaud and Cassie Steeves voted no.

Board chair (unnamed in the transcript) told the board the plan aims "to optimize our educational outcomes, improve our operational efficiencies [and] provide cost effectiveness and savings," and cited anticipated program benefits from centralizing early childhood services, including consolidated access to related specialists such as occupational and speech therapy.

Supporters said the plan would reduce operating and maintenance costs and remove waiting lists for early childhood programs. The chair and other backers also said consolidating services would give the ALC upgraded space, a kitchen and gym and allow staff to collaborate more easily.

Several trustees and public commenters urged caution. Board member Linda Moore cited a literature review she said showed combining pre-K and kindergarten can slow gains for some children and increase transitions that correlate with reduced achievement and more negative behavior. Moore said, "Studies demonstrate that pre k and k, when you combine them, don't benefit pre k."

Resident Janet Molina addressed budget and performance trends, saying the district’s revised budget is "$90,000,000 and some change" and that per‑student spending was about "$26,306" (or higher depending on enrollment calculations). Molina also told the board she had reviewed state assessment trends and said proficiency rates had fallen over an eight‑year period. Resident Leah Inman, a Roosevelt parent and former reorganization committee member, said the ALC move should be voted on separately from elementary reorganization and asked for clearer public explanations of budget cuts and staffing decisions.

Trustees pressed for details during debate: Linda Moore asked for stronger research tying the restructuring to improved achievement; Steeves said she appreciated the committee work but said she would vote against the plan while pledging to support implementation efforts if the board adopted it; Robichaud said he was "not convinced educationally" that the plan served all students.

Before the final vote the board chair reiterated that the reorganization committee had toured sites, solicited community input and used a scoring matrix, and asked trustees to decide after deliberation. The motion was put to a roll‑call vote and passed 4–3.

The board also scheduled further work on implementation details and indicated some decisions — notably facility work at McKinley tied to the reorganization — would return as separate action items for bidding and contracting.

A formal record of the reorganization vote and related debate is in the board minutes and recorded transcript.