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Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2009

Perdue signs student fitness bill

Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the Student Health and Physical Education Act bill into law Tuesday at a school in Decatur. Perdue was joined by Atlanta Falcons players Matt Ryan, Erik Coleman and Brian Finneran and the Atlanta Dream’s Chantelle Anderson.

In 2012, students enrolled in a physical education course will get an annual fitness test that measures height and weight, muscle strength and cardiovascular strength, among other skills. Lawmakers have said the tests would be conducted by physical education teachers and not cost the school systems. Student results would be submitted in a report to the state each year and schools could get rewarded for doing better year to year.

“A big part of getting better in anything – a class, your personal fitness, a sport – is knowing how you measure up and what you need to improve on,” Perdue said in a news release. “This legislation will help students live healthier lives.”