| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to physical education in public schools; |
| 3 | amending s. 1003.455, F.S.; revising the applicability of |
| 4 | physical education requirements for certain students in |
| 5 | grade 6; providing that the criteria for waiver of |
| 6 | physical education requirements apply to students in |
| 7 | grades 6 through 8; providing additional criteria for |
| 8 | which a waiver shall be given; requiring certain |
| 9 | documentation for receipt of a waiver; providing an |
| 10 | effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Subsections (3), (4), and (5) of section |
| 15 | 1003.455, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 16 | 1003.455 Physical education; assessment.-- |
| 17 | (3) Each district school board shall provide 150 minutes |
| 18 | of physical education each week for students in kindergarten |
| 19 | through grade 5 and for students in grade 6 who attend schools |
| 20 | that operate in self-contained classes on an elementary school |
| 21 | schedule are enrolled in a school that contains one or more |
| 22 | elementary grades so that on any day during which physical |
| 23 | education instruction is conducted there are at least 30 |
| 24 | consecutive minutes per day. |
| 25 | (4) Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, the |
| 26 | equivalent of one class period per day of physical education for |
| 27 | one semester of each year is required for students enrolled in |
| 28 | grades 6 through 8. Students enrolled in such instruction shall |
| 29 | be reported through the periodic student membership surveys, and |
| 30 | records of such enrollment shall be audited pursuant to s. |
| 31 | 1010.305. Such instruction may be provided by any instructional |
| 32 | personnel as defined in s. 1012.01(2), regardless of |
| 33 | certification, who are designated by the school principal. |
| 34 | (5)(4) The requirement in subsection (4) (3) shall be |
| 35 | waived for a student who meets one of the following criteria: |
| 36 | (a) The student is enrolled or required to enroll in a |
| 37 | remedial course or is not meeting grade-level expectations in |
| 38 | reading, writing, mathematics, or science. |
| 39 | (b) The student's parent indicates in writing to the |
| 40 | school that: |
| 41 | 1. the parent requests that the student enroll in another |
| 42 | course from among those courses offered as options by the school |
| 43 | district.; or |
| 44 | (c)2. The student's parent indicates in writing and |
| 45 | provides documentation to the school that the student is |
| 46 | participating in physical activities outside the school day |
| 47 | which are equal to or in excess of the mandated requirement. |
| 48 | (6)(5) Each school district shall notify the student's |
| 49 | parent of the options available under subsection (5) (4) before |
| 50 | scheduling the student to participate in physical education. |
| 51 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |