SENATE BILL No. 508

 

 

May 17, 2007, Introduced by Senators CHERRY, GARCIA, BASHAM, BARCIA, JACOBS, BRATER, KAHN and CLARKE and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending section 1502 (MCL 380.1502), as amended by 1993 PA 335.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1502. (1) Health Each public school shall establish and

 

provide a program of health and physical education for pupils of

 

both sexes. shall be established and provided in all public schools

 

of this state. Subject to subsection (2), each Each pupil attending

 

public school in this state who is physically fit and capable of

 

doing so shall take the course in physical education.

 

     (2) A school district may credit a pupil's participation in

 

extracurricular athletics or other extracurricular activities

 

involving physical activity as meeting the physical education

 

requirement for the pupil under subsection (1). All of the


 

following apply to the provision of physical education under this

 

section:

 

     (a) Not later than the 2007-2008 school year, the governing

 

board of each public school shall ensure that all of the following

 

are met, as applicable:

 

     (i) For each of grades K to 5, the public school shall provide

 

for all pupils at least 30 minutes of physical education at least 2

 

days per school week, and at least 60 minutes of health education

 

each school week, for the entire school year.

 

     (ii) For pupils in grades 6 to 8, the public school shall

 

provide for all pupils at least 45 minutes of physical education

 

each school day, and at least 225 minutes of health education each

 

school week, for at least the equivalent of 1 school year.

 

     (b) Not later than the 2010-2011 school year, the governing

 

board of each public school shall ensure that all of the following

 

are met, as applicable:

 

     (i) For each of grades K to 5, the public school shall provide

 

for all pupils at least 30 minutes of physical education at least 3

 

days per school week, and at least 90 minutes of health education

 

each school week, for the entire school year.

 

     (ii) For pupils in grades 6 to 8, the public school shall

 

provide for all pupils at least 45 minutes of physical education

 

each school day, and at least 225 minutes of health education each

 

school week, for at least the equivalent of 2 school years or 4

 

semesters.

 

     (c) Not later than the 2015-2016 school year, the governing

 

board of each public school shall ensure that all of the following


 

are met, as applicable:

 

     (i) For each of grades K to 5, the public school shall provide

 

for all pupils at least 30 minutes of physical education each

 

school day, and at least 150 minutes of health education each

 

school week, for the entire school year.

 

     (ii) For each of grades 6 to 8, the public school shall provide

 

for all pupils at least 45 minutes of physical education each

 

school day, and at least 225 minutes of health education each

 

school week, for the entire school year.

 

     (d) At all grade levels for grades K to 8, the governing board

 

of each public school shall ensure that the pupil-to-teacher ratio

 

in physical education classes and health education classes is

 

substantially equivalent to that ratio in other subject areas and

 

classes.

 

     (e) If a public school is providing more physical education or

 

health education than required under subdivisions (a) to (c), the

 

public school is encouraged to continue to do so.

 

     (f) If a public school has a scheduling system, such as block

 

scheduling, that does not allow the public school to comply with

 

the requirements of subdivisions (a) to (c), the governing board of

 

the public school may apply to the superintendent of public

 

instruction for approval of an alternative schedule for provision

 

of physical education or health education, or both. The

 

superintendent of public instruction may approve such an

 

alternative schedule if it provides, on average, at least as much

 

physical education and health education on a weekly basis as

 

required under subdivisions (a) to (c).


 

     (3) At least biennially, the department, in collaboration with

 

the department of community health, shall report information to the

 

legislature on physical education and health education practices

 

and curriculum requirements in the public schools.