PE Waivers for Bartlett High School Students

Per State law (105 ILCS 5/27-6 section b) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-6) (b)
"A school board is authorized to excuse pupils enrolled in grades 11 and 12 from engaging in physical education courses if those pupils request to be excused for any of the following reasons: (2) to enroll in academic classes which are required for admission to an institution of higher learning, provided that failure to take such classes will result in the pupil being denied admission to the institution of his or her choice"

This law has not changed in decades, but U-46 school district has changed how they interpret this law without publishing or announcing any policy changes or details of the new PE Exemption policy.
This policy change is arbitrary.

Some students in Bartlett High School that were denied PE waivers were told that they did not prove that all class electives (not only the one that is chosen instead of PE) are required by university of their choice and unless taken would make student not eligible for admission to the chosen university.
Academy students can choose only 1 elective, so having opportunity to take additional elective instead of PE class is opportunity to catch up with students from other states that have opportunity to take more AP classes.

Second language and science classes are electives that are sacrificed because students don't have rooms in their schedules to take them.

Since this law is open to interpretation, different school districts interpret it in different ways. The ones that choose academic success and balance budget in more creative ways allow students to get PE waivers as long as one of their electives is required for admission to university of student’s choice.

This petition is not against mandatory PE education in high schools. As parents we do understand and appreciate value of PE education.
In 11th and 12th grade academic stakes are much higher and U-46 school district needs to do more to help students to better prepare for collage and not to create obstacles for them.
Illinois is the only state still mandating PE education.

We are asking is that u-46 school district reinstates the old PE exemption rules and grant them to all 11 and 12 grade students who can demonstrate that elective used to substitute PE class is required for college admission. This in line with the state law and helps to sustain quality and value of education in U-46 school district. Failure to do so will have long lasting impact on educational opportunities for students and will also negatively affect property values for all U-46 tax payers.

Reducing quality of education should not be very first cost cutting measure.