Bowling Green Daily News

Bill about P.E. OK, if funding comes with it

By Courtney Craig

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Local educators say a proposed bill in the Kentucky House of Representatives that would require increased physical activity for students is a good idea, but only if funding is provided along with it.

The legislation proposed by Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington, would require all students in grades kindergarten through 12 to engage in physical activity at school for at least 45 minutes each day. Schools would be encouraged, but not required, to implement this plan with the help of a certified physical education specialist. The bill does not specify any additional funding to implement the plan.

Bowling Green City Schools Superintendent John Settle said such a plan would be good for students’ health, but without funding for it, the task would be left up to classroom teachers and would therefore take time out of the instructional day.

“I think more P.E. would be great, and I would support that,” Settle said. “But without additional funding to support that, there’s no money for more P.E. teachers.”

Warren County Schools Superintendent Dale Brown agreed that the plan would improve the health of students, but could pose some staffing and financial problems.

“Physical activity is important for all students, but this would pose a problem in regard to staffing and funding,” Brown said. “... Time would be taken from the instructional day, and I feel it would have impact on meeting the standards of Kentucky assessments.”

Lee has put an emergency status on the bill, meaning if it passes, he wants it to go into effect immediately. Often programs related to schools are phased in over the course of three to four years, but Lee said he wants this policy in schools as quickly as possible.

“Our kids are becoming terribly obese,” said Lee, who is a lawyer. “There are terrible health problems related to incidents of childhood obesity – hypertension, diabetes, heart problems. It’s an epidemic here in Kentucky, and we need to take care of that.”

The bill was sent Thursday to the House’s Education committee, where it will be discussed and voted on; if the committee approves, it will be presented before the full House for consideration. Physical education is taken by all students in both local districts in elementary and middle school and by ninth-graders in the city schools, but after that, P.E. classes are offered on an elective basis. The county schools require students to take one semester of P.E. anytime during their four years in high school.

“Our kids get no exercise,” Lee said. “I didn’t realize they’re not requiring P.E. in schools anymore. Over two-thirds of our students (statewide) get no P.E. whatsoever, and I found that shocking and disturbing.”

Lee said he believes schools have room in their schedules now to implement the policy, if it is enacted. It may even help boost test scores, he said.

“There is a positive correlation between physical education and testing,” Lee said.

Settle said he’s not heard that correlation before, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

“I’ve not seen any data that says that, but nor have I looked for any,” Settle said. “It makes sense, but I just don’t know.”

Brown said he could not comment on Lee’s claim because he is unfamiliar with Lee’s research.

Simpson County Schools Superintendent Jim Flynn said if the bill passes he would like to see some flexibility built in – that is, he would like teachers to be able to incorporate physical activity into other lessons to fulfill the 45-minute requirement. He’s heard of programs where students are rewarded for reading a certain number of books and walking a certain distance; there are also classroom lessons that could be taken outside on nature walks.

“It wouldn’t have to be only in the form of physical education classes taught by a P.E. teacher, but it could be more flexible,” Flynn said.

Increasing the amount of physical activity in the school day is something that Simpson County Schools officials have been discussing, Flynn said.

“The concern is that we already have our plates full in terms of learning goals in the state and our schools,” Flynn said. “Would that conflict at all? In my opinion, it depends a great deal on how the legislation would be implemented.”

Nancy Quarcelino, a spokeswoman for the Barren River District Health Department, agreed that increased exercise in schools would be beneficial, but additional funding for it would be essential.

“We certainly support everybody being active as much as possible,” Quarcelino said. “But (the health department) can identify with schools in terms of getting numerous mandates that are sometimes unfunded. So think that with (Kentucky Education Reform Act) requirements, they need to provide a way schools can do this through additional funding.”

Quarcelino added that people often look to schools to fix all problems with children, but like other issues, obesity is one that needs to be tackled from all angles. While it would be wonderful if all children got 45 minutes of exercise daily, schools still have their primary job of educating students, she said.

“I’m not sure (schools) have ability to do that and still educate our kids way we want them educated,” Quarcelino said. “This is all of society’s problem, and we all need to take responsibility for making sure we all get the physical activity we need. Like a lot of other health issues, I think this needs variety of approaches from a variety of people, both in school and the community.”

Implementing the plan in schools would not only help children be healthier, it would decrease the amount the state spends annually on obesity-related health problems, which totals about $380 million each year, Lee said. He believes the bill stands a good chance of passing because of the abundance of news stories relaying the dangers of obesity.

“We did a statewide study here through one of our new initiatives, the Healthy Kentucky Initiative, and the No. 1 recommendation was to increase daily activity for students,” Lee said. “The timing’s right, and we need to realize that if we want to have healthy citizens. It’s better to teach them now how to exercise, and hopefully they’ll make that a lifelong habit.”

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