| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to physical education in the public |
| 3 | schools; amending s. 1003.455, F.S.; deleting provisions |
| 4 | relating to requirements for physical education |
| 5 | instruction for students in grades 6 through 8, reporting |
| 6 | and auditing of student enrollment in physical education |
| 7 | instruction, and criteria for a student's waiver from |
| 8 | participation in physical education instruction; providing |
| 9 | an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. Subsections (3), (4), and (5) of section |
| 14 | 1003.455, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 15 | 1003.455 Physical education; assessment.- |
| 16 | (3) Each district school board shall provide 150 minutes |
| 17 | of physical education each week for students in kindergarten |
| 18 | through grade 5 and for students in grade 6 who are enrolled in |
| 19 | a school that contains one or more elementary grades so that on |
| 20 | any day during which physical education instruction is conducted |
| 21 | there are at least 30 consecutive minutes per day. Beginning |
| 22 | with the 2009-2010 school year, the equivalent of one class |
| 23 | period per day of physical education for one semester of each |
| 24 | year is required for students enrolled in grades 6 through 8. |
| 25 | Students enrolled in such instruction shall be reported through |
| 26 | the periodic student membership surveys, and records of such |
| 27 | enrollment shall be audited pursuant to s. 1010.305. Such |
| 28 | instruction may be provided by any instructional personnel as |
| 29 | defined in s. 1012.01(2), regardless of certification, who are |
| 30 | designated by the school principal. |
| 31 | (4) The requirement in subsection (3) shall be waived for |
| 32 | a student who meets one of the following criteria: |
| 33 | (a) The student is enrolled or required to enroll in a |
| 34 | remedial course. |
| 35 | (b) The student's parent indicates in writing to the |
| 36 | school that: |
| 37 | 1. The parent requests that the student enroll in another |
| 38 | course from among those courses offered as options by the school |
| 39 | district; or |
| 40 | 2. The student is participating in physical activities |
| 41 | outside the school day which are equal to or in excess of the |
| 42 | mandated requirement. |
| 43 | (5) Each school district shall notify the student's parent |
| 44 | of the options available under subsection (4) before scheduling |
| 45 | the student to participate in physical education. |
| 46 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |