MONROE - Some students at Monroe High School next year will have the opportunity to take a 0.5-credit physical education waiver.
The Monroe School Board voted 6-1 to approve a P.E. waiver concept at a meeting Monday night. Sophomores, juniors and first semester seniors competing in a WIAA sanctioned sport would be able to apply for a one-time 0.5 credit P.E. waiver. Instead of taking a P.E. class, they could take 0.5 additional credits in an English, math, social studies, science or health education course beyond what the high school requires for graduation.
"The reason we didn't include second semester seniors is because we don't want someone's graduation dependent on a sports season," Monroe High School Principal Rick Waski said. "We think that would put teachers and coaches in a precarious position."
There are 1.5 credits of P.E. required for graduation. In the proposal, the student must sign a contract before the first day of practice in a WIAA sport and identify what course they will take for an additional 0.5 credits and must take the course the same semester they are competing in the sport. However, that isn't written in stone. Monroe School District Superintendent Cory Hirsbrunner said the district has a lot of work to do before the waiver proposal is complete.
Board member Brian Keith supported the concept of the waiver, but he stressed that students should be allowed to select a course they want to take for the waiver between their sophomore and first semester of their senior years and not just the semester they compete in a certain sport.
"In a lot of cases, you may not know the exact course you want until your junior or senior year," Keith. "I think it's a positive step, but it will take some work. As long as you identify what course you want to take before the first semester of your senior year you should be able to take it. You can still take that P.E. class if you didn't follow up."
Hirsbrunner said having students identify which sports season and what course they would take for an additional 0.5 credits was intended to guide students in setting up their four-year plans.
Waski said the district is requiring students pass the course they are taking instead of P.E. That is a step further than the state law. The state law doesn't require a student to pass a course to receive the 0.5 P.E. credit.
"We have gone above and beyond the state law," said Dan Keyser, the district's director of curriculum and instruction.
Another proposed stipulation is a student must maintain a participation in a sport in good standing without any athletic code violations or ineligibility issues.
"No matter how many pages you write tonight, it won't work perfectly," board member Larry Eakins said. "It will take some tweaking."
Monroe School Board President Bob Erb supported the waiver idea, but he said the language in the course handbook must be clear for students registering for classes.
Allowing students to use a P.E. waiver any time between their sophomore and first semester of their senior year could pose some challenges.
Erb said it could be a "big headache" as far as tracking when students use the waiver and some students could fall through the cracks.
The Monroe School Board voted 6-1 to approve a P.E. waiver concept at a meeting Monday night. Sophomores, juniors and first semester seniors competing in a WIAA sanctioned sport would be able to apply for a one-time 0.5 credit P.E. waiver. Instead of taking a P.E. class, they could take 0.5 additional credits in an English, math, social studies, science or health education course beyond what the high school requires for graduation.
"The reason we didn't include second semester seniors is because we don't want someone's graduation dependent on a sports season," Monroe High School Principal Rick Waski said. "We think that would put teachers and coaches in a precarious position."
There are 1.5 credits of P.E. required for graduation. In the proposal, the student must sign a contract before the first day of practice in a WIAA sport and identify what course they will take for an additional 0.5 credits and must take the course the same semester they are competing in the sport. However, that isn't written in stone. Monroe School District Superintendent Cory Hirsbrunner said the district has a lot of work to do before the waiver proposal is complete.
Board member Brian Keith supported the concept of the waiver, but he stressed that students should be allowed to select a course they want to take for the waiver between their sophomore and first semester of their senior years and not just the semester they compete in a certain sport.
"In a lot of cases, you may not know the exact course you want until your junior or senior year," Keith. "I think it's a positive step, but it will take some work. As long as you identify what course you want to take before the first semester of your senior year you should be able to take it. You can still take that P.E. class if you didn't follow up."
Hirsbrunner said having students identify which sports season and what course they would take for an additional 0.5 credits was intended to guide students in setting up their four-year plans.
Waski said the district is requiring students pass the course they are taking instead of P.E. That is a step further than the state law. The state law doesn't require a student to pass a course to receive the 0.5 P.E. credit.
"We have gone above and beyond the state law," said Dan Keyser, the district's director of curriculum and instruction.
Another proposed stipulation is a student must maintain a participation in a sport in good standing without any athletic code violations or ineligibility issues.
"No matter how many pages you write tonight, it won't work perfectly," board member Larry Eakins said. "It will take some tweaking."
Monroe School Board President Bob Erb supported the waiver idea, but he said the language in the course handbook must be clear for students registering for classes.
Allowing students to use a P.E. waiver any time between their sophomore and first semester of their senior year could pose some challenges.
Erb said it could be a "big headache" as far as tracking when students use the waiver and some students could fall through the cracks.