H 3212

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 3212
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION 59-1-425, RELATING TO INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, SO
AS TO PROVIDE THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS MAY NOT BEGIN BEFORE 8:30 IN THE MORNING;
BY AMENDING SECTION 59-10-10, RELATING TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STANDARDS FOR
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS, SO AS TO REVISE THE STANDARDS TO REQUIRE
AN OVERALL INCREASE IN MANDATORY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MINUTES, TO REQUIRE DAILY
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, TO REQUIRE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONAL PLAY
AND UNSTRUCTURED PLAY IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND TO DEFINE
NECESSARY TERMS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-10-30, RELATING TO PHYSICAL
EDUCATION ACTIVITY DIRECTORS, SO AS TO REQUIRE DESIGNATIONS OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY DIRECTORS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND TO REVISE DUTIES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
DIRECTORS TO INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL PLAY AND UNSTRUCTURED PLAY
FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Section 59-1-425(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:
    (A) A local school district board of
trustees of the State has the authority to establish an annual school calendar
for teachers, staff, and students. The statutory school term is one hundred
ninety days annually and must consist of a minimum of one hundred eighty
instructional days covering at least nine calendar months. A local school
district board of trustees may offer the required instructional days at any
time during the school year, consistent with the law. Except as may be waived
in this section or accompanying regulations, a local school district shall
provide at least one thousand eighty instructional hours over the statutory
school term.  The opening date for students must not be before the third Monday
in August, except for schools operating on a year-round modified school
calendar.  Three days must be used for collegial professional development based
upon the educational standards as required by Section 59-18-300. The
professional development must address, at a minimum, academic achievement standards
including strengthening teachers' knowledge in their content area, teaching
techniques, and assessment. No more than two days may be used for preparation
of opening of schools and the remaining five days may be used for teacher
planning, academic plans, and parent conferences.  The number of instructional
hours in an instructional day may vary according to local board policy and does
not have to be uniform among the schools in the
district. The school day for students may not begin before
8:30 a.m.
SECTION 2.  Section 59-10-10(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:
    (A)(1) The goal of this article is to provide
every elementary student with the equivalent of thirty minutes of physical
activity daily. Beginning in the 2006-07 school year, students in kindergarten
through fifth grade must be provided a minimum of one hundred fifty minutes a
week of physical education and physical activity.  In 2006-07, a minimum of
sixty minutes a week must be provided in physical education, and as Section
59-10-20 is phased in, the minimum time for physical education must be
increased to ninety minutes a weekenhance student
academic performance, improve student health, and instill healthful behavior by
integrating an increased amount of physical activity into the school day for
elementary and middle school students.
       (2)(a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 School
Year:
  (i) students in kindergarten through
third grade must be provided a minimum of ninety minutes of physical activity
consisting of physical education, instructional play, and unstructured play
each day; and
  (ii) students in fourth grade through
eighth grade must be provided a minimum of sixty minutes of physical activity
consisting of physical education, instructional play, and unstructured play
each day.
  (b) The physical activity requirement
in subitem (a) must include at least ninety minutes of physical education each
week.
       (3) The certified physical
education teacher to student ratio is designed to provide students in
kindergarten through fifth grade with scheduled physical education either every
day or on alternate days throughout the school year and must be based on the
South Carolina Physical Education Curriculum Standards. The student to teacher
ratio in a physical education class may not exceed the average student to
teacher ratio of 28 to 1.
       (4) An individual student's
fitness status must be reported to his parent or guardian during a student's
fifth grade, eighth grade, and high school physical education courses.
       (5) The physical activity must
be planned and coordinated by the Physical Education Activity Director pursuant
to Section 59-10-30.
       (6) For purposes of this article,
"instructional play" means the use of physical activity or a game to facilitate
academic learning.
SECTION 3.  Section 59-10-30(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:
    (A) Beginning with
the 2026-2027 School Year, each elementary school and
each middle school shall designate a physical education teacher to serve
as its Physical Education Activity Director.  The Physical Education Activity
Director shall plan and coordinate opportunities for additional physical
activity for students that exceed the designated weekly student physical
education instruction times and that:
       (1) may include, but not be
limited to, before, during, and after school dance instruction, fitness trail
programs, intramural programs, bicycling programs, walking programs, and recess, ; and
       (2) must include activities
designed to promote physical activity opportunities in the classroom.
SECTION 4.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on December 06, 2024 at 10:41 AM