South Dakota will update its high school graduation requirements to allow students to earn academic credit for participating in extracurricular athletics, a change the Board of Education Standards must implement by September 30, 2026. The bill modifies the state's graduation credit rules to recognize athletic participation as a valid way to meet some of the credits needed to graduate. This gives high schools flexibility to award credit for sports and other extracurricular activities alongside traditional classroom coursework.
This bill does not directly amend codified state law.
The amendment clarifies and expands the rules for awarding high school credit for extracurricular activities by specifying that fine arts credit requires district documentation of alignment with state content standards, and adding a new provision allowing up to one-half credit in physical education for school-sanctioned varsity athletics (with a maximum of one-fourth credit per activity per year, also requiring documentation of alignment with state PE standards). This BROADENS the bill's scope from addressing only fine arts credit to also establishing a framework for granting physical education credit through athletic participation.
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended Failed, YEAS 31, NAYS 36. H.J. 139
House of Representatives Deferred to another day H.J. 128
Education Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 8, NAYS 7. H.J. 1
Education Motion to amend H.J. 1
Education Motion to amend H.J. 1
Education Scheduled for hearing
First read in House and referred to House Education H.J. 12
Prime sponsor · Rep.
R
Prime sponsor · Sen.
R
Do Pass Amended
Education — Do Pass Amended