Lawmakers highlight link between health and learning
Image by: Metro Creative
Students participate in fitness activities during a school gym session, reflecting a growing emphasis on student health and wellness.
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The Issue:
Arizona is expanding how schools communicate student wellness, as policymakers look to better connect physical health with academic outcomes.
The Stats:
Research consistently shows physically active students perform better academically, with improved concentration, attendance and test scores, according to national health and education studies.
The Solution:
HB 2395 establishes a voluntary statewide fitness recognition program, allowing schools to highlight participation in nationally recognized physical fitness efforts on official report cards.
State education leaders and lawmakers gathered Monday at Empower College Prep to mark the passage of a new law aimed at elevating student health as part of the broader education conversation.
The event, led by State Superintendent of Schools Tom Horne, celebrated House Bill 2395, which creates the Arizona School Fitness Program within the state’s education department.
Sponsored by Rep. Leo Biasiucci, R-Lake Havasu City, the measure allows public schools to voluntarily participate in nationally recognized physical fitness tests or programs. Schools that opt in can include a fitness designation on their annual report cards.
The law does not mandate participation, instead preserving local control while encouraging schools to prioritize student wellness.
Research consistently shows that physical activity improves attention, memory and executive function in children, with physically active students performing better on cognitive tasks and demonstrating stronger academic outcomes.
Just 35 minutes of daily exercise linked to cognitive gains
A single 35-minute session of physical activity has been shown to improve cognitive flexibility in children, while broader research finds that structured exercise programs can significantly boost attention, working memory and cognitive flexibility in both children and adolescents.
Federal health data from the CDC shows physically active students demonstrate stronger academic performance, memory and classroom behavior.
Arizona already requires physical education for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, but HB 2395 creates a formal path for schools to showcase enhanced fitness efforts beyond minimum requirements.
Under the law, the Arizona Department of Education will develop guidelines, identify best practices and provide resources to participating schools.
The program’s report card designation is expected to serve as a signal to parents, particularly those weighing school choice options, about a campus’s commitment to student health.
Lawmakers backing the bill framed it as part of a broader effort to provide families with clearer, more comparable information across schools, while avoiding additional mandates or administrative burdens.
The legislation passed with bipartisan support, reflecting a rare point of agreement in a policy landscape often divided over education priorities.
As implementation begins, the program’s impact will likely depend on how many schools choose to participate and whether families begin to factor fitness designations into their decision-making alongside academics, safety and extracurricular offerings.
For now, state leaders are positioning the initiative as a step toward a more holistic view of student success — one that places physical well-being alongside traditional academic metrics.
While no official implementation timeline has been announced, the program is expected to roll out during the 2026–27 school year.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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