Band and show choir kids across Iowa may have reason to rejoice this year because of a new proposal coming from the Iowa Senate Education Committee.
SF161 would change language to excuse students from physical education (PE) requirements if they participate in show choir, marching band, or color guard. Previously, only students enrolled in sports, other classes, and non-school-sponsored extracurriculars were allowed to be excused.
[inline-ad id=0]
The added excuse is also required to take at least as much time per week as a unit of PE. This change would apply to public, nonpublic, and charter schools.
Another part of the bill makes it easier for high school students to be excused by only requiring a written request from a parent/guardian of the student. It changes language to say “a student shall be excused from the physical education requirement by the principal of the school” and removes consultation with the student’s counselor and approval from the school board or whoever is in charge of the school.
[inline-ad id=”1″]
The addition of show choir, marching band, and color guard are also added for middle schoolers.
A subcommittee meeting for the bill is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday and can be watched via Zoom.
Nikoel Hytrek
2/8/23
[inline-ad id=”0″]
If you enjoy stories like these, make sure to sign up for Iowa Starting Line’s main newsletter and/or our working class-focused Worker’s Almanac newsletter.
Have a story idea or something I should know? Email me at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Twitter at @n_hytrek.
Iowa Starting Line is part of an independent news network and focuses on how state and national decisions impact Iowans’ daily lives. We rely on your financial support to keep our stories free for all to read. You can contribute to us here. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Politics
Opinion: I was an Iowa legislator. Where’s the substance to today’s bills?
In today’s hyper-partisan, emotion-fueled political environment, where policy proposals are seemingly presented and defended with facile slogans and...
As some Iowa lawmakers vilify birth control, here’s what it actually does
When Dr. Emily Boevers, an OB-GYN in Waverly, first sits down with patients for birth control consultations, she asks them a series of questions...
Local News
Hawkeye, ISU marching bands among Top 5 in Metallica contest
Grammy-winning, Hall-of-Fame thrash metal rockers Metallica are making marching band competitions cool for a whole new crowd. In April, the band...
Find the perfect Christmas tree at these 24 Iowa farms
Iowa farmers only plant corn and beans, you say? Tell that to the 100+ Christmas tree farms dotted across Iowa's snowy landscape this time of year,...