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Public Act 102-0405
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| HB0160 Enrolled | LRB102 05150 CMG 15171 b |
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section |
27-6 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/27-6) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-6)
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Sec. 27-6. Courses in physical education required; special |
activities.
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(a) Pupils enrolled in the public schools and State |
universities engaged in
preparing teachers shall be required |
to engage
during the school day, except on block scheduled |
days for those public schools engaged in block scheduling, in |
courses of physical education for such
periods as are
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compatible with the optimum growth and developmental needs of
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individuals at the various age levels except when appropriate |
excuses
are submitted to the school by a pupil's parent or |
guardian or by a person
licensed under the Medical Practice |
Act of 1987 and except as provided in
subsection (b) of this |
Section. A school board may determine the schedule or |
frequency of physical education courses, provided that a pupil |
engages in a course of physical education for a minimum of 3 |
days per 5-day week.
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Special activities in physical education shall be provided |
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for pupils
whose physical or emotional condition, as |
determined by a person licensed
under the Medical Practice Act |
of 1987, prevents their participation in the
courses provided |
for normal children.
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(b) A school board is authorized to excuse pupils enrolled
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in grades 11 and 12 from engaging in physical education |
courses if those
pupils request to be excused for any of the |
following reasons: (1) for
ongoing participation in an |
interscholastic
athletic program; (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
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institution of his or her choice; or (3) to enroll in academic |
classes
which are required for graduation from high school, |
provided that failure to
take such classes will result in the |
pupil being unable to graduate. A school
board may also excuse |
pupils in grades 9 through 12 enrolled in a marching band
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program for credit from engaging in physical education courses |
if those pupils
request to be excused for ongoing |
participation in such marching band
program. A school board |
may also, on a case-by-case basis, excuse pupils in grades 7 |
through 12 who participate in an interscholastic or |
extracurricular athletic program from engaging in physical |
education courses. In addition, a pupil
in any of grades 3 |
through 12 who is eligible for special education may be |
excused if the pupil's parent or guardian agrees that the |
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pupil
must utilize the time set aside for physical education |
to receive special education support and services or, if there |
is no agreement, the individualized education program team for |
the pupil determines that the pupil must utilize the time set |
aside for physical education to receive special education |
support and services, which agreement or determination must be |
made a part of the individualized education program. However, |
a pupil requiring adapted physical education must receive that |
service in accordance with the individualized education |
program developed for the pupil. If requested, a school board |
is authorized to excuse a pupil from engaging in a physical |
education course if the pupil has an individualized |
educational program under Article 14 of this Code, is |
participating in an adaptive athletic program outside of the |
school setting, and documents such participation as determined |
by the school board. A school board may also excuse pupils in |
grades 9 through 12 enrolled
in a Reserve Officer's Training |
Corps (ROTC) program sponsored by the school
district from |
engaging in physical education courses.
School boards which |
choose to exercise this authority shall establish a policy
to |
excuse pupils on an individual basis.
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(b-5) A pupil shall be excused from engaging in any |
physical activity components of a physical education course |
during a period of religious fasting if the pupil's parent or |
guardian notifies the school principal in writing that the |
pupil is participating in religious fasting. |