Honorable Haddad, Honorable Antonioni and Members of the Joint Committee on Education,

In 1996, when the Board of Education eliminated the mandated time in physical education, I was honored to be this associations’ President and addressed the Board of Education after their vote with the words “You have just set a negative precedent for the rest of this country. Mark my words, we will have an obesity crisis within the next ten years.” Unfortunately, here we are today, at the start of another decade where obesity in children is spiraling out of control. We know all the statistics, the research and the benefits of physical education. Yet, the most important question is looming and one that ultimately is the bottom line: How much will it all cost if Senate bill 334 is passed?

In obtaining statistics from two school systems, demographics being a wealthy suburb and a small town, the following numbers are the estimated costs for additional certified staff and equipment should the law take effect tomorrow.

Wealthy suburb:

Current Physical Education Staffing is as follows:
K-5 7.2 FTE
6-8 6.0 FTE
9-12 6.2 FTE
Adapted 2.0 FTE

Currently, the cost of staff (21.4) is; $1, 402,000.00
Cost of equipment: $20,000.00

Staffing Needs if Students Receive 150 Minutes/Week K-5 and 225 Minutes/Week 6-12


K-5 17.5 FTE (Increase of 10.3)
6-8 13.2 FTE (Increase of 7.2)
9-12 13.8 FTE (Increase of 7.6)

Total Increase of Staff Needed: 25.1

Cost Estimate for New Staff: 25.1 x $45,000 (average salary and benefits) $1,129,500
Cost of estimated equipment: $20,000.00

Total: $2, 531, 500.00 needed for staff and $40,000.00 needed for equipment
The physical education budget: $2, 571, 500.00


Town:

Current Physical Education staffing is as follows:

Grade K-5 FTE 3
Grades 6-8 FTE 2
Grades 9-12 FTE 4

Currently the cost of staff (9) is: $570,000.00
Cost of equipment is: $1,750.00

Staffing Needs if Students Receive 150 Minutes/Week K-5 and 225 Minutes/Week 6-12

Grades K-5 FTE (Increase of 7.8)
Grades 6-8 FTE (Increase of 3.1)
Grades 9-12 FTE (Increase of 1.7)

Total increase of staff needed: 12.6

Cost Estimate for New Staff: 12.6 staff @ $441,000 (does not include benefits)
Cost of estimated equipment: $3,263.00

Total: $1,011,000.00 needed for staff and $5,013.00 needed for equipment.
The physical education budget: $1,016,013.00


These numbers seem to be daunting but consider this, in the 2004 Thomson Medstat Research Brief, annual
healthcare costs for children treated for obesity covered by Medicaid averaged $6,700.00 while those with
private insurance averaged $3,700.00. I am sure that the numbers are much higher to this date.
The brief points out that children treated for obesity are three times more expensive than the average insured child.

If we do not invest in daily, quality physical education programs as part of the solution in this state, annual costs of obesity for the 6,156 school children within the wealthy community through private insurance could total $22, 777,200.00 and through Medicaid could total $41, 245, 200.00.

Annual healthcare costs for the 3100 students within the small town through private insurance could total
$11,470,000.00 and through Medicaid could total $20,770,000.00.

Most taxpayers probably have no idea that they are responsible for $180.00 per year for obesity related
medical costs. So, at this point they would say “yes” to quality daily physical education as being a part of
the solution for the obesity crisis, but what is the reality in this state? Back in 1993 when the Education
Reform Law was passed, eighty initiatives were put into action and funded. We found the monies because
Math, Science, English, the Arts and a host of other subjects were deemed a necessity for our children.
Physical education is likewise is a most integral part of the school curriculum. We are not doing any justice
to our students if we impart all this knowledge through the academics only for them to have a lifespan of 30
years and dying of coronary heart disease because we have not physically educated them toward a healthy
lifestyle.

Florida and Texas have each passed laws in the last few months for daily physical education at various levels. I’d like to think that Massachusetts would be next and that I would not be sitting here in another ten years supporting the same bill. It would be tragic at this point if we were not proactive instead of reactive. With all the intellect and creativity that various professionals possess in Massachusetts schools, governmental agencies, and hundreds of organizations which support this bill, I know that the solution of funding can be solved. I’d be the first to volunteer on a committee to assist in this extraordinary and needed task.

Respectfully Submitted,

Maria Melchionda, M.Ed.
Executive Director
Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance