We can’t really argue with any of the reasons listed in House Bill 1069 for the importance of physical exercise in schools. First and foremost, physically active kids are better able to focus on their schoolwork.
And that’s just the beginning of the benefits of exercise. Physically active kids are more likely to remain fit at a time when the percentage of obese youngsters is on the rise. They’re less likely to be misdiagnosed with attention deficit disorder and related conditions. And they’re less likely — the boys especially, we suspect — to suffer from behavioral problems.
So what’s not to like about HB 1069, which mandates minimum amounts of physical activity in public elementary schools and which has passed both chambers of the legislature? Just this: Most schools already ensure that their students get the amount of exercise stipulated in the bill — about 30 minutes a day. So why mandate something that for the most part is already practiced?
Do a few schools fall short of the minimum? No doubt, and that’s not good. But parents have recourse when schools adopt misguided policies. They can protest and then, if necessary, vote in a new school board.
Local school officials are being called upon to do more with less these days. The last thing they need is additional state directives complicating their lives.
True, the compliance costs in this case may not be much. Even so, the legislation does “encourage” the State Board of Education to include in each school’s performance report a description of how it is incorporating “physical activity into the school day.” Talk about a potential nightmare of data collection.
The bill also says that if a school already offers more than the minimum amount of physical activity, it can’t decrease the amount except in response to budget constraints. Why should the state impose, in effect, a higher minimum standard on districts that have excelled at providing kids with recess and physical education?
We’re sure that this feel-good bill has not been high on Gov. John Hickenlooper’s radar screen, given all of the other problems facing the state. We also doubt he’d risk expending political capital to veto a measure that will come to his desk, assuming the House accepts Senate amendments. In the scheme of things it is a relatively small affront to his crusade against unnecessary red tape.
Still, HB 1069 needs to be recognized for what it is: an effort to micromanage the school day from the Capitol by lawmakers who should know better.
