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University researcher urges lawmakers to set minimum PE minutes, bar withholding PE as punishment
Summary
Dr. Ben Kern testified that physical education should be a protected component of Wyoming's 'basket of goods,' citing research linking regular activity to academic readiness, mental health and lifelong skills. He recommended minimum weekly PE time, limits on substitutions and bans on withholding PE as discipline.
Dr. Ben Kern, an associate professor at the University of Wyoming, urged the Joint Education Committee on June 1 to strengthen protections for physical education in the state's 'basket of goods,' arguing that PE contributes to cognitive function, mental health and readiness to learn.
Kern told the committee that Wyoming elementary students receive limited PE time on average and that reductions in PE and other non‑tested subjects over recent decades may harm student well‑being and readiness. "Physical education is not an extra. It's part of a well‑rounded education," Kern said.
Recommendations from the public comment included setting a minimum weekly PE requirement, prohibiting withholding PE as a disciplinary measure or as academic makeup, limiting substitution of PE credit for non‑PE activities (for example, band or purely extracurricular credits), and adding wellness indicators that do not impose additional testing burdens.
Context: Committee members and WDE staff acknowledged PE and other well‑rounded subjects have been constrained by testing pressures and scheduling choices. Kern and other commenters cited research that reinstating or protecting PE time does not reduce academic achievement and can improve attention and behavior.
Next step: Commenters urged the committee to consider statutory or rule changes to elevate physical‑education requirements in the basket of goods and to consult education research and district capacity data when drafting any minimums.
Source material: Public comment by Dr. Ben Kern and Q&A at the Joint Education Committee (June 1, 2026).
