Louisiana Students Must Actually Perform Physical Skills In PE Starting 2027

Students across will soon have to get moving in PE classes. Starting with the next school year, Louisiana public school students will have to take part in physical activities and not just learn about them.

New state standards will move gym classes away from static textbook memorization and place a far stronger emphasis on active physical movement. Developed by educators and key stakeholders, the revised framework centers on building fundamental movement skills that set students up for healthy, active lives long after graduation.

A Focus on Lifetime Fitness

Louisiana Education Secretary Dr. Cade Brumley emphasized that the updated goals look far beyond the school gym.

"They bolster the idea of lifetime fitness and lifetime health and I think they will go a long way in helping to combat things like obesity and diabetes and heart health."

Moving From Learning about Activity to Actually Doing It

The core shift in the curriculum transitions from theoretical knowledge to real-world execution. Under previous guidelines, students were primarily evaluated on identifying or naming specific physical skills. The new expectations require students to actively perform them.

Brumley says:

In the old expectations for PE, students might just learn about something. They might learn what it looks like to climb or what does it mean to throw or to squat or to jump. With the new standards, there is the expectation that they actually have to do it.

Building Skills Across All Grades

Designed to progress sequentially from kindergarten through 12th grade, the curriculum ensures movement skills continually build on one another. Beyond physical instruction, state education leaders highlight that active participation helps students grasp the broader wellness benefits, including improved mental wellness and stronger social connections.

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"It's going to help them understand the benefits of those activities for their physical health, for their mental health, for their social relationships."

Do Louisiana Students Still Have Daily PE?

• Kindergarten through 8th Grade: State law mandates at least 30 minutes of physical activity every school day. How this time is distributed between structured PE classes and general movement varies by district, but schools are required to ensure daily activity.

• High School (Grades 9–12): High schoolers are not required to take PE every single day. Instead, students must complete 1.5 units of Physical Education (plus 0.5 units of Health) to qualify for graduation. Students typically fulfill this requirement by taking dedicated PE courses over one to two academic years.

• Substitutions: JROTC, marching band, cheerleading, dance team, or extracurricular sports can substitute for specific PE credits provided they meet weekly activity minimums.

• Medical Exemptions: Students may be exempted only for medical reasons, though total graduation credit minimums remain unchanged.

BESE voted this week to make the changes with the 2027–2028 school year.