American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

California Parents Can Sue if Public Schools Skimp on PE

On November 30, 2010, California Court of Appeals overruled a Sacramento trial judge, who said the state's physical education rule was advisory, not a requirement, and that a private party, like a parent, had no standing to enforce the law anyway.

California's education code requires elementary schools to offer 200 minutes of physical education every 10 days, an amount that rises to 400 minutes in middle or high schools, not including lunch or recess. A small-scale survey of state schools a few years ago found more than half failed to provide the required minutes of physical activity. Now, due to this ruling, a parent can sue a child's public school if they feel PE requirements are not met. Learn more>>