BHS Physical Education FAQ
Updated: November 7, 2025
Spanish translation will be added by November 14, 2025
La traducción en español estará disponible el 14 de Noviembre
The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) recognizes the vital role that physical activity plays in supporting student health, well-being, and academic success and remains committed to providing all students with regular opportunities for physical activity through comprehensive, high-quality physical education instruction. Physical education at BUSD is designed to promote lifelong fitness, teach healthy habits, and support the physical, social, and emotional development of all students.
To meet BUSD graduation requirements, students must complete 20 credits of Physical Education (BHS Course Catalog, pg. 12).
Over the months to come BUSD will be working to be in compliance with state requirements for high school physical education, informed by our commitment to Excellence, Equity, Enrichment and Engagement. In the meantime, we recognize that there are a number of questions about this evolving situation. We have created this FAQ to answer questions and share important information. We will continue to update the FAQ as new information becomes available.
Federal Program Monitoring Update: Physical Education
Staff shared an update on the Federal Program Monitoring Review status at the November 5, 2025 Regular Board meeting. A link to the video (the presentation begins at hour 1 minute 27) of that presentation will be shared here once posted.
Background
What are the state requirements for physical education?
Ed Code states that “All pupils, except pupils excused or exempted pursuant to Section 51241, shall be required to attend the courses of physical education for a total period of time of not less than 400 minutes each 10 schooldays.” [California Education Code (EC) Section 51222 (a)]
All students in grades seven to twelve inclusive must participate in physical education courses unless the pupil is excused from participation in accordance with the exceptions in EC sections 51222(a), 51241, or 51242.
In other words, California high schools are required to offer four years of PE to all students, and all students are required to take PE for all four years, unless they meet the requirements for an exemption. The most common exemption allows the school board to waive the third and fourth years of the PE requirement if a student is in grades 10-12, has completed required 9th grade physical education testing requirements, and voluntarily requests the exemption (usually by signing up for a class other than PE during the scheduling process). The school board then votes to approve the exemption at one of its meetings. (The legal authority for this specific exemption can be found in EC 51241(b)(1).
What are the state high school graduation physical education course requirements?
All students are required to complete two years (20 credits) of physical education in order to be eligible to graduate from high school, unless the pupil has been exempted pursuant to the provision of the California Education Code (EC). (EC Section 51225.3 [a][1][F]) . High school physical education course content must include instruction in each of the eight content areas, which will necessitate a general PE course to meet these requirements which will happen in 9th grade. See CDE’s website for additional information: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/sf/peguidemidhi.asp
How do other high schools meet this requirement?
Other high schools meet this requirement with a mandatory 9th grade PE class.
What Physical Education findings did BUSD receive in the Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) Review?
BUSD received findings in 4 areas for physical education.
The 4 areas of findings are:
- PE 04: Testing—FITNESSGRAM,
Each pupil participates in the California Physical Fitness Performance Testing program by administering the California Physical Fitness Test (FITNESSGRAM) in grades five, seven, and
nine during the months of February, March, April, or May of each school year. (EC sections 33352[b][4], 33352[b][5], 60800)
- PE 06: Pupil Exemptions
LEAs that maintain a high school and elect to exempt pupils from required attendance in PE have a variety of options: (1) Temporary Exemption (2) Two Year Exemption* (3) Permanent Exemptions (4) Athletic Exemption. The Two Year and the Permanent Exemptions from PE require the LEA to offer a variety of elective PE courses of not less than 400 minutes every 10 school days, taught by an appropriately credentialed teacher. (EC sections 33352[b][6], 51222[b], 51241[a][1][2], 51241[b][1], 51241[c][1][2][3], 51242)
- PE 07: Teaching and Evaluation—High School
LEAs that maintain a high school shall provide a course of study in physical education to pupils in any of grades nine to twelve, inclusive, where instruction and evaluation of pupil progress is delivered in a developmentally appropriate sequence, that includes; the effects of physical activity upon dynamic health, the mechanics of body movement, aquatics, gymnastics and tumbling, individual and dual sports, rhythms and dance, team sports, and combatives.
- PE 09: Teaching Credentials
LEAs must provide instruction in physical education to pupils in grades one through twelve,
inclusive, by PE teachers who hold appropriate teaching credentials issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Instructional aides, paraprofessionals, and volunteers may only assist the teacher. (EC sections 33352[b][9], 44258.7, 45343–45367)
What is BUSD’s status in resolving the FPM findings?
We have completed submission of evidence to the CDE and have formally resolved all of our findings. The outstanding change to our full PE compliance is mandatory PE for 9th and 10th graders and this will require changes to the master and bell schedule. Considering a number of factors, including but not limited, to the resource and staff capacity, financial constraints, and facilities at Berkeley High School, 9th grade Berkeley High School student’s mandatory enrollment in PE classes will be postponed until the 2027–28 school year.
Physical Fitness Test
What is the Physical Fitness Test?
The California State Board of Education designated the FITNESSGRAM as the Physical Fitness Test for students in California public schools. The FITNESSGRAM is a comprehensive, health-related battery of physical fitness tests developed by The Cooper Institute. The primary goal of the FITNESSGRAM is to assist students in establishing lifelong habits of regular physical activity.
By law (California Education Code [EC] Section 60800), all public local educational agencies (LEAs) in California are required to administer the PFT annually to all students in grades five, seven, and nine. The PFT provides information that can be used (1) by students to assess their levels of health-related fitness and plan personal fitness programs; (2) by teachers to design the curriculum for physical education programs; (3) by parents and guardians to understand their child’s fitness levels; and (4) by teachers, parents, and guardians to monitor changes in the student’s fitness levels.
For more information: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/TG/pf/
See parent guide: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/documents/pgtu-pft.pdf
Can the physical fitness test be administered during summer?
No, the 9th grade Physical Fitness test will be administered to all students during the school year in their 9th grade PE class, during the months of February – May.
How will 9th graders participate in the Physical Fitness test if they are not enrolled in PE?
In the 2025-26 and the 2026-27 school year, for students who are not enrolled in a PE class, we will determine a schedule for students to participate in the Physical Fitness test between February – May. More information will be provided once we have finalized this plan. Note: In order for a student to be eligible for a 2-year PE exemption they must take and pass the FITNESSGRAM (see Waivers/Exemptions section below).
Waivers / Exemptions
Note: In BUSD we have been using the term “PE Waivers.” Only the State Board of Education has the authority to issue waivers for any specific section of the California Education Code. For the time being, we will be using the term “Community Program PE Exemption” to replace the waiver language. The BHS Course Catalog will be updated to reflect this revised terminology.
What is BUSD’s policy on physical education exemptions?
There are different types of exemptions in the District’s policy which are aligned with California Education Code and are outlined in BUSD’s policy:
Two year exceptions
According to BUSD Policy 6142.7: Physical Education And Activity, with the student’s consent, the Superintendent or designee may exempt a student from physical education courses for any two years during grades 10-12 provided that the student has satisfactorily met at least five of the six standards of the FITNESSGRAM in grade 9. (Education Code 51241).
Permanent exemptions
The Superintendent or designee may also grant a student a permanent exemption from physical education under any of the following conditions: (Education Code 51241)
The student is 16 years or older and has been enrolled in grade 10 for one or more academic years. However, such a student shall not be permitted to attend fewer total hours of courses and classes than the student would have attended if enrolled in a physical education course.
Other exemptions
The Superintendent or designee may grant a student an exemption from physical education under the following special circumstances:
When the student is in high school and is engaged in a regular school-sponsored interscholastic athletic program carried on wholly or partially after regular school hours. (Education Code 51242)
Will students participating in a BHS Interscholastic Athletics program be eligible for a “PE Waiver”?
Students participating in a regular school-sponsored interscholastic athletic program carried on wholly or partially after regular school hours are eligible for an exemption in alignment with the “Other Exemptions” allowable per Board Policy 6142.7. Students will receive 5 PE credits for each season they successfully complete. See pages 7-8 of the BHS Course Catalog. Students enrolled in the 9th-12th grade for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school year will be eligible for this option.
Will PE exemptions through the YMCA be accepted during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school year?
Yes. Because addressing the programmatic issues identified in the FPM review will require more time to implement, current BHS students and incoming 9th graders will be allowed to use BHS’s current “PE Waiver” to earn PE credits. (BHS Course Catalog, pages 7-8). This includes participation in programming through the YMCA. Students enrolled in the 9th-12th grade for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school year will be eligible for this option, which will now be called the “Community Program PE Exemption”
Will PE exemptions for participation in YMCA summer programming be accepted in Summer 2026?
Yes. Because addressing the programmatic issues identified in the FPM review will require more time to implement, current BHS students will be allowed to use BHS’s current “PE Waiver” to earn PE credits (BHS Course Catalog, pages 7-8) which includes participation in YMCA programming during the summer. This option, which will now be called the “Community Program PE Exemption,” is only available to rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders for Summer 2026.
Will “PE waivers” for athletic club sports be accepted for next year’s students?
Yes. Because addressing the programmatic issues identified in the FPM review will require more time to implement, current BHS students and incoming 9th graders will be allowed to use BHS’s current “PE Waiver” to earn PE credits. (BHS Course Catalog, pages 7-8). Students enrolled in the 9th-12th grade for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school year will be eligible for this option, which will now be called the “Community Program PE Exemption.”
BHS Interscholastic Athletics Programs
How much credit does a student receive for participating in a BHS school-sponsored interscholastic athletic program?
Students who qualify for an exemption because of participation in a regular school-sponsored interscholastic athletic program carried on wholly or partially after regular school hours, will receive 5 PE credits for each season they successfully complete. See page 8 of the BHS Course Catalog.
Which activities are identified as a regular school-sponsored interscholastic athletic program?
A list of these activities can be found in the BHS Course Catalog, pg. 8.
Why are club sports not able to be regular school-sponsored interscholastic athletic programs carried on wholly or partially after regular school hours?
In order for a club sport to become a school-sponsored sport at BHS, we would first need to determine if we have the necessary facilities and funding to support additional teams and coaches. If BHS can accommodate the costs and facility needs, we would then bring a proposal to our league for consideration.
- The league must first approve the addition of the new sport.
- If approved, the proposal is then submitted to the CIF sectional level.
- Following sectional approval, the proposal is presented to the CIF Federated Council for vetting, a first reading, and finally, a vote.
BHS Physical Education Course Offerings
What PE courses can students take in the 25-26 school year that will count as PE for 9th grade?
Badminton, Team Sports, Soccer, Basketball, and Intro to Fitness, Modern/Jazz Dance, and African Diaspora Dance will count as PE as each will be taught by a credentialed PE teacher.
Are we offering Summer School PE, and if so, who qualifies and how many credits can be earned?
Yes, we are offering PE in summer school for senior diploma i.e. graduating seniors.
Questions?
We will continue to make regular updates to this FAQ. If you have questions please submit to bhspe@berkeley.net
Links to this FAQ can be found on the BHS website and under “quick links” on BUSD’s home page.
