During the 2024-25 school year, Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) was deemed out of compliance with California standards that require all high schoolers to take two years of physical education in order to graduate. As a result, BHS administration is making changes to BHS’s PE requirements to be implemented for the 2026-27 school year onward. Most California schools meet the state standard by requiring all 9th graders take a PE class. However, requiring PE for underclassmen at BHS with its current bell schedule would be incredibly harmful to students’ access to arts electives, and BHS needs to implement a thorough solution that properly addresses this concern.
A required PE class would pose a significant risk to freshmen’s access to arts electives. In a six-period day, freshmen get two elective slots. With a new PE requirement, this could be reduced to one. Incoming freshmen are already pressured to take a language, so many may simply not get an arts elective. This issue must be taken seriously, and those in charge of decision-making cannot afford to assume access to the arts will be untouched by the requirement.
BHS has an amazing arts program in which students are able to follow their passions and learn important and interesting skills. “Art gives students an opportunity to express themselves in a plethora of ways. Art allows them to tap into their creativity and into their strengths,” Dawn Williams, African American studies lead, said. Having easy access to not only art itself, but arts classes, is incredibly beneficial to high schoolers. It creates a place of self-expression and belonging that is vital for many students’ mental health. Art helps relieve stress and gives students a healthy emotional outlet. The transition into high school is difficult, and having a place where students can express themselves is crucial.
While many freshmen may not get an arts elective, BHS is making efforts to keep arts available in other ways. “(The change) might mean more students taking VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts) classes later rather than earlier in their high school career, but it also might mean more VAPA classes outside of the school day; it also might mean more VAPA infused in classes that students are already taking,” AnnieJae Fischburg, the vice principal in charge of the Visual and Performing Arts department, said. Fischburg explained BHS administration is in the process of developing open arts studios that will be available during lunch for a variety of different arts. This will give freshmen at least some access to arts, but it still doesn’t address the issue of access to arts classes. Arts classes involve learning and developing skills and concepts with qualified arts teachers, and replacements like lunchtime workshops and incorporating arts into core classes simply wouldn't provide that. Fischburg explained that admin is discussing opening more VAPA classes during zero and seventh period, which would be one of the only ways for many freshmen to take an arts elective. This, however, is not a solution. There are students who can't take seventh period; many have commitments in the afternoon, like school sports or other extracurriculars. Besides, making the school day an hour longer for any freshman who wants to take an arts elective and a language is incredibly unfair and will make the transition into high school much harder for those who choose it. It can already be very tiring without adding extra time onto the school day.
Solutions are still being discussed, but a promising one that’s been brought up is switching to a block schedule, which many nearby high schools that require PE already have. It would allow students to take more classes, and many schools that require PE have some form of a block schedule. Oakland High School, for example, has a schedule that allows students to take eight classes, with odd number periods on Mondays and Thursdays and even number periods on Tuesdays and Fridays. Oakland High freshman Darwin Guiney explained this schedule lets students take PE, a language, and a required computer science course while still having room for an arts elective within the school day. “(Block schedule is) a lot less rushed. Even though you do spend a lot of time in one class, that means everything gets fleshed out; you have time to ask questions; you understand the material,” Guiney said. Having more time in each class means teachers can ensure students have a complete understanding of the subject matter.
BHS administration has to make their decision before course selection begins for next year in March. Ultimately, the cons vastly outweigh the pros when it comes to mandatory PE classes, and the administration must change the class schedule format in order to protect student accessibility to BHS’s valuable arts programs if this new PE requirement is to be implemented.