Los Gatos-Saratoga trustees hold study session on meeting California's 20-credit PE graduation requirement

Board President Chen convened a special study session Jan. 23 of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Board of Trustees to examine how the district meets California's high school physical education graduation requirement of 20 credits (two years). Presenters included Assistant Superintendent Dr. Deepa Mukherjee, Los Gatos and Saratoga site principals and PE department chairs, who described ninth-grade year-long courses, elective offerings for grades 10'12 and how athletics and other activities can be used to earn remaining credits.

The presentation distinguished physical education (standards-based instruction across eight content areas) from physical activity (sports, dance, spirit squads) and explained that the Fitnessgram assessment is administered in ninth grade with participation rates reported in each school's School Accountability Report Card. Staff said successful completion of the district's ninth-grade course accounts for 10 of the required 20 credits; students may earn the remaining 10 credits through year-long PE electives or through school-sponsored physical activity programs where seasons typically grant 5 credits per season.

Site leaders from Los Gatos described a long-standing freshman "health and fitness" course and a team-teaching model that staff say builds community, reduces freshman D/F rates and has expanded elective options. Shannon Vineyard, Los Gatos PE department chair, said the freshman class's culminating project raised about $20,000 for health-related organizations last year. At Saratoga, Rick Ellis, PE department chair and athletic director, described a fitness-based, measurable strength-and-conditioning approach that standardizes movements, uses rubrics and scales activities for all ability levels. Presenters emphasized inclusion for students recovering from injury and the ability to modify assignments for safe participation.

Trustees reviewed comparative models from neighboring districts. Staff explained why Palo Alto's model—in which athletics is treated as extracurricular and does not automatically provide PE credit—was not recommended for Los Gatos-Saratoga, because that approach can create unsupervised schedule gaps and interrupt a sequenced PE curriculum. An athletic director who previously worked in Palo Alto said their model restricts options for students and would be contrary to the community requests heard here.

District and site staff presented early data focused on Saratoga High School showing freshman athletic participation percentages and roster snapshots; they cautioned the dataset covers only a semester and is too limited to draw long-term trends. Site staff said they will continue to monitor rosters, solicit student feedback and examine why upper-grade participation falls off at Saratoga. Principals proposed follow-up meetings with student athletes and coaches to better understand retention factors.

During public comment, Peter (in person) praised the presentations, urged keeping the 20-credit standard with no exceptions for athletes and recommended adding bicycling and swim skills to the curriculum as lifelong competencies. Liz Alves, a Saratoga PE teacher participating online, asked the district to consider allocating additional staff (for example, a full-time athletic trainer or strength-and-conditioning coach) and to expand elective offerings at Saratoga so students can access yoga, lifting and team-sport classes beyond a single period.

In trustee Q&A, board members asked whether independent-study PE credit can apply to club athletes; district staff said an independent-study option exists for elite athletes who meet specified competitive criteria (state- or national-level competition), but club-sport credit is not automatic. Trustees also asked how the district ensures coverage of the eight state PE content areas; presenters said the district sequences standards across multiple years so that students encounter all content areas over time, and noted swim and combatives/self-defense units are being scheduled into existing rotations.

No formal policy change or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the board adopted the meeting agenda at the start of the session. Trustees thanked staff and asked for continued monitoring of Fitnessgram participation, athletic-roster trends and the annual course-interest survey the district has begun administering to gauge student demand for additional PE electives. Follow-up items identified by staff include further roster analysis, targeted outreach to upper-grade students and exploration of staffing or schedule adjustments to expand elective access at Saratoga.

The board adjourned after public comment and trustee discussion; staff will return with updated data and recommendations if and when policy or staffing changes are proposed.