The Illinois School Code allows local boards of education to excuse students from mandated participation in Physical Education only for the following reasons:

Category I-Athletics:

Any student who participates in an interscholastic athletic program in which there is physical activity for at least 50 minutes per day five times per week is eligible for a waiver from PE for the semester they are participating in the athletic program.

• Fall athletic program participants may opt to take a first semester course in lieu of their PE course.
• Winter athletic program participants may opt to take a second semester course in lieu of their PE course.
• Spring athletic program participants may opt to take a second semester course in lieu of their PE course.
• Students who participate in two sports seasons may opt to take a first semester course plus a second semester course or a yearlong course in lieu of their PE courses.

Interscholastic sports at the high schools that qualify for waiver applications are listed below:

• Fall: Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Poms, Boys Soccer, Girls Swimming, Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball
• Winter: Basketball, Bowling, Competitive Cheerleading, Dance, Boys Swimming, Wrestling
• Spring: Baseball, Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys Tennis, Track, Boys Volleyball

Category I-Marching Band

• Any student who participates in the marching band program is eligible for a waiver from PE only for the fall semester. Marching Band participants in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 may opt to take a first semester course in lieu of their PE course.

Category II:

• Any 11th or 12 grade student who, in order to be granted admission to a specified institution of higher learning, must complete a specific academic course not included in existing state or local minimum graduation standards.

Category III:

• Any 11th or 12th grade student who lacks sufficient course credit or lacks one or more specific courses in order to meet state and local graduation requirements.
• If at any time during a semester, a student becomes ineligible for a PE Waiver, the student will not have fulfilled their PE requirement for the semester and is responsible for contacting the guidance counselor to arrange for make-up PE.
• Student Transcripts will indicate that the State of Illinois PE requirement has been fulfilled for each semester a waiver is in effect. PE waivers will carry no academic credit value. The cumulative grade point average (GPA) of the student will not be impacted by the PE waiver.