ELMIRA Research Paper
ELMIRA (WENY) - Often times when school funding gets cut, it's the arts and physical education programs that are the first to go. Well, with a push from U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, more than a billion dollars in federal aid will be available for physical fitness and education programs.
As part of the national education bill, Every Student Suceeds Act, approximately $125 million dollars will go to New York Schools grades k-12 . Thanks to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand some of that money can be used towards improving physical education under the Fit Kids Act. "No school in New York should ever feel they have to chose between other priorities and making sure kids have a chance to exercise so now they wont have too," says Senator Gillibrand. …show more content…
Right here in the Southern Tier the obesity rate is 35.5 percent, which is higher than the national avergae. "We cant let this trend continue because already a third of our kids in the Southern tier are overweight or obese this is a health crisis we really have to solve," say Senator Gillibrand.
Elmira City School District Athletic Director Tom Morrell says since the big education cuts in 2011, physical education opportunities for students have suffered. "We're gradually coming back, we were able to make a call back to more teachers, were able to give more instruction to kids in phys ed classes so were getting better but were still not there," says Morrell.
Morrell says the district used to be able to take gym classes off campus like to go ice skating, fishing and canoeing. Something the district wants to bring back. "A lot of the things we like to teach is lifelong skills whether its cross country skiing, roller bladeing, individual dual sports like badminton, tennis or golf something they can do when they're in their old age," explains
As part of the national education bill, Every Student Suceeds Act, approximately $125 million dollars will go to New York Schools grades k-12 . Thanks to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand some of that money can be used towards improving physical education under the Fit Kids Act. "No school in New York should ever feel they have to chose between other priorities and making sure kids have a chance to exercise so now they wont have too," says Senator Gillibrand. …show more content…
Right here in the Southern Tier the obesity rate is 35.5 percent, which is higher than the national avergae. "We cant let this trend continue because already a third of our kids in the Southern tier are overweight or obese this is a health crisis we really have to solve," say Senator Gillibrand.
Elmira City School District Athletic Director Tom Morrell says since the big education cuts in 2011, physical education opportunities for students have suffered. "We're gradually coming back, we were able to make a call back to more teachers, were able to give more instruction to kids in phys ed classes so were getting better but were still not there," says Morrell.
Morrell says the district used to be able to take gym classes off campus like to go ice skating, fishing and canoeing. Something the district wants to bring back. "A lot of the things we like to teach is lifelong skills whether its cross country skiing, roller bladeing, individual dual sports like badminton, tennis or golf something they can do when they're in their old age," explains