Section 51241.
Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51241.
in effect(a)
The governing board of a school district or the office of the county superintendent of schools of a county may grant a temporary exemption to a pupil from courses in physical education, if the pupil is one of the following:
(1)
Ill or injured and a modified program to meet the needs of the pupil cannot be provided.
(2)
Enrolled for one-half, or less, of the work normally required of full-time pupils.
(b)
(1)
The governing board of a school district or the office of the county superintendent of schools of a county, with the consent of a pupil, may grant a pupil an exemption
from courses in physical education for two years anytime during grades 10 to 12, inclusive, if the pupil has met satisfactorily at least five of the six standards of the physical performance test administered in grade 9 pursuant to Section 60800.
(2)
Pursuant to Sections 51210, 51220, and 51222, physical education is required to be offered to all pupils, and, therefore, schools are required to provide adequate facilities and instructional resources for that instruction. In this regard, paragraph (1) shall be implemented in a manner that does not create a new program or impose a higher level of service on a local educational agency. Paragraph (1) does not mandate any overall increase in staffing or instructional time because, pursuant to subdivision (d), pupils are not permitted to attend fewer total hours of class if they do not enroll in physical education. Paragraph (1) does not mandate any new costs because any additional physical education
instruction that a local educational agency provides may be accomplished during the existing instructional day, with existing facilities. Paragraph (1) does not prevent a local educational agency from implementing any other temporary or permanent exemption authorized by this section.
(c)
The governing board of a school district or the office of the county superintendent of a county may grant permanent exemption from courses in physical education if the pupil complies with any one of the following:
(1)
Is 16 years of age or older and has been enrolled in grade 10 for one academic year or longer.
(2)
Is enrolled as a postgraduate pupil.
(3)
Is enrolled in a juvenile home, ranch, camp, or forestry camp school where pupils are scheduled for recreation and
exercise pursuant to the requirements of Article 24 (commencing with Section 880) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(d)
A pupil exempted under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) or paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall not attend fewer total hours of courses and classes if he or she elects not to enroll in a physical education course than he or she would have attended if he or she had elected to enroll in a physical education course.
(e)
Notwithstanding any other law, the governing board of a school district also may administer to pupils in grades 10 to 12, inclusive, the physical performance test required in grade 9 pursuant to Section 60800. A pupil who meets satisfactorily at least five of the six standards of this physical performance test in any of grades 10 to 12, inclusive, is eligible for an exemption pursuant to subdivision
(b).
References
referencesCal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 880.
referencesCal. Education Code - EDC § 60800.
referencesCal. Education Code - EDC § 51210.
referencesCal. Education Code - EDC § 51220.
referencesCal. Education Code - EDC § 51222.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026