Coaches and teachers tell Santa Clara Unified board proposed PE credit exemption would increase inequity

Public commenters at the March 12, 2025 board meeting urged trustees to reject a proposed physical education credit exemption, arguing it would deepen inequities between students who can afford outside club sports and those who cannot.

Jean (Gene) Kendall, a physical education and health teacher and boys water polo coach at Santa Clara High School, told the board the district’s repeated use of the term equity on its website rings hollow if policies ‘‘reward those who have from those who do not.’’ He said the proposed exemption would ‘‘further increase the achievement gap’’ by advantaging financially secure students who can access club sports and therefore are more likely to qualify for school sports teams and additional elective courses. Kendall said, “This is inequitable through and through.”

Brian Randall, who also spoke during public comment, echoed the coach’s concerns and said the exemption would disproportionately favor a small percentage of students who participate in a specific sport and those with access to paid after‑school programs. Randall noted that the district’s student population includes many who “need the support and need a leg up,” and warned the proposal would widen gaps rather than close them.

Context: The remarks were delivered during the public comment period on unagendized items; the transcript does not record a board vote on a PE credit exemption during the meeting. Several commenters asked the board to consider equity implications before adopting any such policy.

Other public items: The public comment period also included an invitation to Relay for Life (Tabitha Koppler Hurley) and other routine community notices.

What the board recorded: Trustees cut off Kendall’s prepared remarks at the two‑minute public‑comment limit; no formal action on a PE credit exemption appears in the transcript for this meeting.