Central CUSD 301 students and parents urge board to preserve year‑long marching‑band PE waivers
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Summary
Students and parents told the Central CUSD 301 Board that a corrected interpretation limiting marching‑band PE waivers to the fall semester will force students to drop academic or arts classes; the district said the longstanding practice had been misapplied and that the corrected interpretation will take effect in 2627, with further communication and discussion promised.
Several Central High School students and parents told the Central CUSD 301 Board of Education that a change in how the district applies PE waivers for qualifying activities would harm music and performing‑arts students.
"With this new policy, I have to drop a class just to take PE," said Becker Lang, an incoming sophomore at Central High School, urging the board to reconsider and proposing grandfathering, early (0‑hour) PE, or a pep‑band waiver so students need not give up arts classes. Parent speaker Joey said the year‑long waiver practice had lasted about 20 years and was changed without notice to parents or the music department, leaving students who had already chosen courses in a difficult position.
District administrators and board members acknowledged the concerns and said the district discovered the long‑standing practice was a misapplication of policy. "The purpose of the PE waiver is to allow students in qualifying activities to forego taking PE for a specific semester during which that activity occurs," an administrator said, noting marching band is a fall activity and, under current interpretation, waivers should apply for that semester only.
Administrators told the board that the change will be applied beginning in the 2627 school year and not retroactively for the current year, and they pledged to add clearer communication and an FAQ for band parents. Board members said they will continue conversations with the high school and music department to identify workable options for students whose schedules are tightly packed.
The board did not adopt an immediate policy amendment during the meeting; members said they will review the issue further and communicate next steps through district channels. The district cited Illinois school code and existing board policy as the basis for the corrected interpretation and said other qualifying‑activity waivers (for athletics, color guard, et cetera) follow the same semester‑based rule.