District says PPHY grant funded prevention programming; board approves achievement and integration plan

A prepared statement presented to the Faribault school board on March 16 said the district received a Prevention Partnerships Healthy Youth (PPHY) grant in 2022 that provided nearly $1 million over three years to support youth substance-use prevention programming, after a public comment prompted district outreach in 2022. The statement said funds were used for student programming, after-school activities and community partnerships and explicitly stated that "at no time did any of these grants go to Lu Ali or to any of her businesses." The statement also said the Minnesota Department of Human Services completed a financial reconciliation and found the district in compliance with grant requirements.

The board then reviewed and approved the district’s Achievement and Integration Plan for fiscal years 2027–29, which includes a "grow your own" teacher pipeline, AVID supports and strategies to pursue racial and economic integration and raise student achievement. Administrators said the grow-your-own pathway is open to all applicants who live in the community and that hiring decisions are made on merit; they said program components — tutoring, mentoring and recruiting — are available to all eligible participants.

Director Moore pressed for clearer evidence that the achievement-and-integration efforts raise basic skills such as reading and math, saying the packet did not contain the hard statistical evidence he wanted to see. "From what I can see, there is no hard statistical evidence that this program is increasing student achievement," he said. Administration responded that program metrics and implementation plans are in the packet and that components will be monitored; staff indicated some achievement indicators (graduation, participation) have been reviewed though board members asked for more granular, outcome-based data tied to foundational skills.

The board approved the Achievement and Integration Plan after discussion. The meeting packet and staff remarks noted that the grow-your-own pathway is districtwide and that there is no hiring language that establishes racial preference; staff said positions are posted and filled based on qualification and merit.

Board members asked for ongoing accountability and clearer reporting on outcomes tied to taxpayer investment. Administration directed members to contact the superintendent’s office for further documentation and promised follow-up.