Weston Weighs PE Exemption For Dancers, Skaters, Non-MIAA Athletes
Weston's Student Advisory Committee asked the School Committee on Oct. 19 to extend the school's physical-education exemption, currently reserved for MIAA athletes, to students with heavy outside-school commitments such as dance and ice skating.
WESTON --
HIGH SCHOOL -- At the Oct. 19 School Committee meeting, the Student Advisory Committee raised two issues for the board. Members said some students "do dance or ice skating, and they spend hours a day practicing, you know, even more than some varsity athletes" but still must take PE, while students in MIAA-sanctioned school sports qualify for an exemption. The students asked the committee to consider letting students in "similarly physically intensive activities outside of school" receive the same PE exemption given to school-team athletes.
Committee members said the exemption policy currently applies only to MIAA athletics because, when it was adopted, school leaders wanted to avoid having to judge "what is a sport and what is not" or verify outside participation. One member said the issue sits with the high school administration and the teaching and learning department, and that the committee hopes to hear from the high school on whether the exemption could be expanded. No vote was taken; members indicated they expect to revisit the question, along with a related review of the personal device policy's treatment of Bluetooth headphones, likely in December.
Compiled from team and league reports, reader submissions, and local coverage.
Share this story
Know someone in Weston who follows town government? Share Townbrief Weston: they can sign up free.