Idaho Wants Input on Education Requirements

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The state Board of Education is seeking input from the public on a series of new requirements — from mandatory cursive writing classes to making physical education a graduation requirement.

The board is taking public comment on six proposed rule changes in all. The board has also scheduled a public hearing Oct. 8. The proposed rules includes a requirement that elementary students learn cursive writing — an idea initially pitched by Rep. Linden Bateman of Idaho Falls during the 2013 Legislature. Under another proposed rule, high school students would have to take two credits worth of physical education to graduate.

The same rule would also offer students more flexibility in their math and science course choices, in some cases allowing students to take dual credit engineering or computer science.