Florida Senate - 2012                                    SB 1644
       
       
       
       By Senator Lynn
       
       
       
       
       7-01202-12                                            20121644__
    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
    4         provisions relating to requirements for physical
    5         education instruction for students in grades 6 through
    6         8, reporting and auditing of student enrollment in
    7         physical education instruction, and criteria for a
    8         student’s waiver from participation in physical
    9         education instruction; providing an effective date.
   10  
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   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 of
   17  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 a
   32  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 school
   36  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, 2012.