The Board of Education of Oak Park School District 97 will hold a Public Hearing on May 26, 2026, at 7 p.m., during the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting. The meeting will take place in the board room of the District 97 Administration Building, located at 260 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302.
The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public comment on a waiver of the physical education requirement as outlined below:
105 ILCS 5/27-6 (a) reads as follows:
Pupils enrolled in the public schools and State universities engaged in preparing teachers shall be required to engage during the school day, except on block scheduled days for those public schools engaged in block scheduling, in courses of physical education for such periods as are compatible with the optimum growth and developmental needs of individuals at the various age levels except when appropriate excuses are submitted to the school by a pupil's parent or guardian or by a person licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section. A school board may determine the schedule or frequency of physical education courses, provided that a pupil engages in a course of physical education for a minimum of 3 days per 5-day week.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is requesting a modification of the daily physical education requirement for students at the kindergarten through fifth-grade levels. The district has in recent years noted enrollment levels that limit the availability of common areas for courses such as physical education for all of our students if offered on a daily basis. We continue to look for innovative approaches to student scheduling.
As such, we are asking that physical education with a licensed physical education teacher be limited to 60 minutes per week. Beyond these physical education classes, our schedule includes having all students in kindergarten through fifth grade participate in at least 15-minutes of physical activity education (PEA). PEA is in addition to the daily lunchtime recess, and will allow all students time for movement and opportunities for large and small group activities. In addition, every effort will be made by classroom teachers to provide structured classroom activities that require movement and fitness for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
As authorized in Section 2-3.25g of the School Code [105 ILCS 5], an eligible applicant, as defined in 2-3.25g(a) or any Independent Authority established under Section 2-3.25f-5 of the School Code, may petition for:
- Approval of waivers or modifications of State Board of Education rules and of modifications of School Code mandates, which may be requested to meet the intent of the rule or mandate in a more effective, efficient or economical manner or when necessary to stimulate innovation or to improve student performance (Section 2-3.25g(b) of the School Code); or
- Approval of waivers of School Code mandates, which may be requested when necessary to stimulate innovation or to improve student performance or the intent of the mandate in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner (Section 2-3.25g(b) of the School Code).