Risk Seen in Deals Offered By Fitness Group

By Jeff Archer

State officials in Minnesota are telling districts to proceed with caution when making deals with a group that offers schools across the country a way to get new fitness programs for students at no cost.

The warnings issued in recent weeks by both the state auditor and the attorney general of Minnesota relate to the National School Fitness Foundation, a 4- year old organization based in American Fork, Utah.

At issue is the unusual financial arrangement by which the foundation helps schools acquire its trademark program for improving physical fitness, called L.I.F.T. America, which stands for Leadership in Fitness Training. Districts pay for the product upfront, and then receive funds back from money...