Iowa students in show choir could be exempt from some PE requirements under bill

Iowa students could soon be singing and dancing their way to meet their physical education requirements.

A bipartisan bill advanced by a Senate subcommittee Tuesday would add "show choir" to the list of extracurricular activities that could excuse high school students from physical education class, just like athletics does.

"This is a sport unto itself," said Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Hiawatha. "The physical exertion — no doubt about it, it should be exempt."

Mathis sponsored the bill along with 10 other Senate Democrats and Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale.

Currently, Iowa law requires students to participate in physical education classes each semester they are in school.

But students involved in athletics can get exemptions from those requirements. Under the bill, Senate File 2041, those exemptions would be extended to those involved in show choir.

If it became law, high school principals could excuse high school students from the PE requirement if students are participating in show choir for the time equivalent to PE classes, and if the student needs to enroll in classes that wouldn't otherwise be available to the student.

"That's very important for juniors and seniors to take an extra class," Mathis said. "That could be an AP class. They could save a little money."

When making the exemptions, principals would consult with the students' counselors. Students in grades 9 through 11 who participate in show choir could be excused from one semester of PE per year, according to the bill. High school seniors could be excused from both semesters.

The bill also includes language exempting middle school and high school students who participate in show choir from the requirement of at least two hours of physical activity per week.

Mathis said the idea for the bill came from Storm Ziegler, who directs show choir at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids.

Ted Brimeyer, director of choirs at Urbandale Schools, said he came to the Capitol on Ziegler's behalf to support the bill. Show choir at Urbandale includes an average of 3½ hours a week of practice, he said, and anyone watching a rehearsal would see the work that goes into it.

"We perform our 17-minute show, and you see the sweat is beading off their faces," he said. "They're huffing and puffing."

Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, a subcommittee member, said she likes that the bill acknowledges the physical effort of show choir but also keeps most students in physical education class for one semester each year.

"I think it's important they have PE," she said. "Physical education is really about taking care of your body, knowing how to exercise properly, things like that. And some people do take that very seriously."

Zaun suggested amending the bill to add marching band participation, but the subcommittee decided against it after Mathis noted that the marching band season doesn't extend throughout the school year.

The bill will now go to the full Senate Education Committee.

Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.

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