State Rep. Kathy Rice, R-Black Hawk, speaks in the South Dakota House of Representatives on Feb. 4, 2025, at the Capitol in Pierre. (Photo by Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)
Legislators in South Dakota’s House Education Committee heard concerns Wednesday at the Capitol in Pierre over two bills that could change the ways high school students earn credits for graduation, but the committee advanced the bills to the full House of Representatives.
The bills would allow the substitution of a varsity sport for a physical education credit, and an agricultural class for a science elective.
Physical education credits
The first bill, introduced by Rep. Kathy Rice, R-Black Hawk, would allow students to earn a half credit of physical education for participating in varsity sports. In order to graduate, public school students must complete one-half credit of physical education.
Students from Rapid City testified in favor of the bill. Weston Howard, a student-athlete at Stevens High School, said the policy would free up a period during his school day to focus on studies. He spends hours outside of regular class time at practices and tournaments, and sometimes misses school to travel for competitions.
“I don’t see myself as just an athlete. I am a student first,” Howard said. “When I miss class time, my focus should be on catching up academically, not being required to spend even more time on physical activity I already am doing every day.”
But Joseph Graves, the state’s secretary of education, said there may be some unintended consequences that come with the bill. A major focus of physical education classes is developing lifelong skills and habits, he said.
“The truth is no sport can possibly cover the high school PE standards,” Graves told the committee.
Thirty-one states allow varsity sports to substitute for physical education, but some of those states, like Utah, require more credits for that subject.
Graves also worries about the teaching credentials of coaches. Few coaches have a specific focus in teaching physical education, and many are volunteers who work in other sectors outside of education, he said.
The bill doesn’t establish any grading scale or require that the people grading students be certified teachers, Graves said.
“That’s a pretty severe break from everything else we do,” he said. “South Dakota has a very strong standard where if you’re going to be a teacher in South Dakota, you’re going to have a certificate.”
Rob Monson, executive director of the school administrators association, urged legislators to defeat the bill and allow education leaders in the state to work together on rewriting the state’s education standards.
“We are in a precarious position when legislators start to set standards, graduation requirements,” he said. “We have a great process with the Board of Education standards.”
The committee advanced the bill on an 8-7 vote.
Science credits
Rep. Kaley Nolz, R-Mitchell, brought a bill to the committee that would allow students to substitute an agriculture class for a science elective, although the credit could not take the place of a biology course.
She said it replicates a law that allows students to replace a science credit with a computer science course.
“We’re just adding to something that we’re already doing,” Nolz said. “I’m very encouraged by the potential this legislation holds for strengthening agriculture education.”
The bill might nudge more students toward careers in agriculture, Nolz said.
The language of the bill doesn’t establish exactly what content requirements an agriculture course would have, and that’s one of the concerns Graves had with the proposal.
The legislation is “unnecessary,” he said.
The Department of Education has a process already in place that allows career and technical education courses to replace a core content course like a science, math or fine arts requirement.
The committee advanced the bill on a 12-3 vote.
For broadcasters:
- Host script with Weston Howard and Rob Monson audio clips.
