Q&A of the Day – Is Physical Education Being Handled Properly in Palm Beach County?
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Social: @brianmuddradio
iHeartRadio: Use the Talkback feature – the microphone button on our station’s page in the iHeart app.
Today’s Entry: Hi Brian, We listen to your show every day and love the well researched content. It’s nice to get the “facts.” We’re writing about a topic we know is important to you- our school children.
We are both elementary school teachers in PB County…. Did you know the children have had outdoor recess 5 times since the start of the school year? While each school is slightly different we are told that it’s “the law that kids can’t be outside if heat index is 105.” Now obviously there’s no law but we are watching behavior problems, attention problems, and learning issues because these children need exercise and movement. How can this be justified? Especially since the recess being canceled is rarely done after 10:00 and the heat index is never 105 at that time. Is this more climate change garbage? What’s driving this? Why is each school doing things differently? How can we get the kids back outside? Thanks for all you do.
Bottom Line: This was a note I first received on September 24th, and I had intended to address sooner but mistakenly didn’t until it was brought to my attention again. Obviously, as we’re into late October, heat indexes are no longer of concern the way they were over a month ago. But of course, we know this issue will come back up again and this topic provides an opportunity to explain what the law states pertaining to physical education in schools, what’s changed in recent years, and also to address concerns about PE policies in area schools. So, let’s start with what Florida law states on this issue.
There are three different physical education mandates based upon the grade level of students. Those requirements established by the Florida Board of Education are:
- Elementary: 150 minutes of physical education each week for students in grades K-5. A minimum of 30 consecutive minutes is required on any day that physical education instruction is provided.
- Middle: Requires one class per day for one semester of physical education each year for students enrolled in grades 6-8.
- High: Requires one credit in physical education with the integration of health.
As for how this policy is to be carried out Florida’s law states:
- It is the responsibility of each district school board to develop a physical education program that stresses physical fitness and encourages healthful, active lifestyles and to encourage all students in prekindergarten through grade 12 to participate in physical education. Physical education shall consist of physical activities of at least a moderate intensity level and for a duration sufficient to provide a significant health benefit to students, subject to the differing capabilities of students. All physical education programs and curricula must be reviewed by a certified physical education instructor.
- Each district school board shall adopt a written physical education policy that details the school district’s physical education program, the expected program outcomes, the benefits of physical education, and the availability of one-on-one counseling concerning the benefits of physical education.
- Each district school board shall provide at least 100 minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured free-play recess each week for students in kindergarten through grade 5. This requirement does not apply to charter schools.
So, there are a couple of takeaways from state law that may begin to address questions presented today. Each school district has the ability to establish its own policy under state law. That can create differences within PE policies with like schools across the state. Also, as the law states, the PE mandate doesn’t apply to charter schools which then can create differences within a given school district that are decided at the school level.
For its part the Palm Beach County School District has established policy that’s consistent with the broad state guidelines for PE which doesn’t include specific guidelines pertaining to heat index levels. There are other school districts which have done this however, and it does play off a new law that was established a few years ago.
During the 2020 state legislative session, a new law was established to address the risk of heat illnesses with student athletes. Known as the Zachary Martin Act, in honor of a Lee County high school football player who died of heat stroke during practice, a host of new mandates were put place for schools to adhere to. This is likely the law that some have cited (and confused) in response to your concerns about PE cancelations due to issued heat advisories.
The Zachary Martin Act doesn’t address physical education requirements within the state, however following its passage numerous school districts across the state adopted more restrictive PE policies under the pretext of guarding against heat related illnesses. Take for example, the St. John’s County School District policy, which is replicated by several school districts across the state. According to their policy there is a “Heat Index Guide” that schools are to adhere to. As is stated:
- Designed to help protect students from incurring heat-related illnesses or problems, school personnel will reference the Heat Index Guide to modify and/or suspend outdoor activities. This guide applies to K-12 Physical Education, K-12 School Sponsored Activities, K-5 Recess and Extended Day.
As for the details of the heat index guide it’s stated as:
- heat index is less than 95 degrees – Normal outdoor activities
- heat index is 95 to 98 degrees – Outdoor activities should be limited or may be cancelled
- heat index is 99 degrees or above – Outdoor activities will be cancelled.
Those standards, and others like them, have been established based upon the National Weather Service’s Heat Index Chart. That’s also why the specific temperature of 105 degrees came up. According to the NWS there’s a danger of sunstroke and heatstroke with temperatures above 105 degrees.
So that’s the explanation as to why decisions pertaining to heat indexes have been made in certain school districts and by specific schools within them. Now, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t schools and perhaps even school districts generally that aren’t properly adhering to state law. This has been an issue at select area schools for many years.
In a 2016 investigative story by the Palm Beach Post entitled: Is your kid getting the 150 minutes of PE state law requires? It was discovered that there were area schools that were in violation by 45 minutes or more per week. What was uncovered is that once schools presented master plans to the school district about PE, accountability was left entirely up to principals and school specific administrative staff. That’s likely still the case today. A significant catalyst, a la legal action, or the state making this a point of emphasis is likely what’s needed for greater consistency.