By Megan Kelley
Editor
mkelley@mihomepaper.com
INDEPENDENCE TWP. – At its regularly scheduled meeting on March 10, the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education voted 6-1 on a proposal allowing two years of marching band or winter guard to count as the equivalent of one half credit of a physical education elective. This would only include the P.E. portion, not the P.E./Health class component.
The proposal comes to the board after it was approved by the district’s Teaching and Learning Council. The lone nay vote was cast by Trustee Amanda Love.
“Our Teaching and Learning Council for the district is a body of roughly 60 some individuals that represents subject area coordinators from all the subject areas, administrators, parents, we have a couple of students that sit in on it – it’s a broad representative group,” said Superintendent Dr. Shawn Ryan.
Traditionally, the council votes on things such as new textbooks and curriculum changes.
According to Ryan, the votes on this particular measure were very close with the majority being just over 50% in favor of the proposal.
The board received two presentations on the topic; one from Marching Band Director Mike Lewis and one from Katie Lambert, a subject area coordinator for the districts P.E. and Health Department.
Lewis outlined how this proposal would help marching band students by allowing them the ability to continue in band while making room for other courses they wish to take. He also noted that the district already has a policy in place which allows students to test out of P.E.
With marching band being a co-curricular activity, this proposal would make it easier for students to fit everything into their schedule over their four year high school career, allowing them to remain in band/orchestra/choir while still allowing them to take additional elective courses, non-elective courses or AP classes,” Lewis said.
Lewis went on to say that marching band itself is a physically demanding activity so it is in line with the Michigan Merit Curriculum Law which states that the half credit for P.E. may also be awarded by the school district for approved participation in extracurricular athletics or other extracurricular activities that involve physical activity.
“The total number of hours that a student spends at marching band in either rehearsal or performances is approximately 216 hours in a typical marching band or winter guard season,” Lewis said. “This number of hours is much greater than the number of hours that they are in a P.E. course definitely justifying the waiver for the student.”
Lambert, speaking for the P.E. department, did not think there was justification for the proposal to be approved.
Lambert began with pointing out another section of the Michigan Merit Curriculum Law which states,” each pupil attending public school in this state who is physically fit and capable of doing so shall take the course in physical education.”
Lambert also stated that while marching band and winter guard are physical activities, they are not a replacement for actual physical education.
“There is no denying that marching band has many benefits for our students. There is no argument that a drum line member is exerting energy equivalent to a workout. The argument lies in the type of instruction the student is receiving in an educational setting rather than a practice setting,” Lambert said. “Physical activity and physical education are not the same thing.”
Several parents, students and other staff members spoke during the meeting to speak both for and against the measure while board members also expressed that they felt it was a tough decision.
The policy is expected to go into effect in the fall of 2025.