On Wednesday, February 18, the Los Altos Town Crier announced that the Mountain View High School Board of Trustees has approved a ninth-grade student PE exemption to be implemented next year.

According to the new policy, all freshman are still required to enroll in a PE class. However, students taking six academic classes and who also participate in a school-sponsored interscholastic sport will be exempt from PE classes during that sports’ designated season.

In 2014, controversy arose regarding the current mandatory freshman PE class. Parents, students, and community members advocated for a PE exemption policy, arguing that students need the “free period” to enroll in extra electives, catch up on much-needed sleep, and to simply have extended time to study. Ultimately, the goal of the PE exemption policy was to reduce stress and increase flexibility.

MVLA district staff members voiced their concerns to the school board, defending their belief that PE is the one class that draws students together regardless of academic or physical ability. Although the new policy has been approved, many questions continue to linger. MVLA District Superintendent Barry Groves announced that district staff is still configuring details regarding how the PE curriculum will be adjusted for students entering and leaving the course at different times throughout the year.