Rep. Kaley Nolz, R-Mitchell, speaks with lawmakers ahead of the Governor’s Budget Address on Dec. 2, 2025, at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

The South Dakota House of Representatives rejected bills Monday that were meant to extend credits toward graduation to high school students who participate in sports or substitute agriculture classes for science classes.

House Bill 1078 aimed to extend a concept already applied to approved computer science courses to agriculture programming. High school students can earn one of their required science credits with a yearlong computer course.

The bill came from Rep. Kaley Nolz, R-Mitchell. It cleared the House Education Committee 11-3 last week, but some of its committee supporters switched sides on the House floor when the bill first appeared there on Friday and failed, before Tuesday’s reconsideration attempt.

Bills that could change high school PE and science requirements advance in Legislature

Rep. Nicole Uhre-Balk, D-Rapid City, said she learned that it’s possible for agriculture teachers to get a waiver that would get their students science credit under current Department of Education rules.

“It’s not as onerous a process” as she was led to believe in the committee hearing, Uhre-Balk said.

Nolz argued that some teachers are too overburdened to deal with waiver requirements or may, in some counties, be intimidated by state bureaucracy.

“Why are they having to jump through hoops to prove it’s a science credit?” Nolz asked during debate on Friday. “Why not have it in books for clarity, certainty and, really, less administrative paperwork?”

The bill garnered a 33-31 vote on Friday, but needed a majority of the House’s 70 members to pass. Half a dozen lawmakers were missing that afternoon, and Aberdeen Republican Rep. Logan Manhart signaled an intent to reconsider the vote.

On Monday, the House said no to Manhart, voting 33-34 on a motion to reopen the debate.

Credit for sports falls

House Bill 1008 sought to extend physical education credits to high school athletes. 

Unlike with ag science courses, Rep. Kathy Rice said, South Dakota doesn’t have a way for coaches to translate their athletes’ work into high school credit. 

When students devote hundreds of hours to their athletics, the Blackhawk Republican said, their academics suffer. 

“That’s what it takes to do varsity sports,” she said.

Track coach and state Rep. John Shubeck, R-Beresford, said some of his athletes “work harder than their parents do” and don’t need a semester of physical education to learn how to stay fit and healthy into adulthood.

“When I see my athletes and the work they put in, they need a break,” Shubeck said.

Opponents, like Doland Republican Lana Greenfield, worried about unintended consequences of removing PE credits from classrooms.

“PE is a graded course. It is a part of your GPA. If you don’t have a certified coach,” Doland said, referencing the common rural phenomenon of non-teacher coaches across South Dakota, “who’s going to give the grade?”

Rep. Will Mortenson, R-Fort Pierre, mentioned that esports are now an officially sanctioned extracurricular sport in South Dakota.

“Are we going to give high school credit for playing video games?” Mortenson said.

The House vote on the measure was 31-36.