New state law requires P.E. in middle school.

Byline: Marc Freeman

Jun. 28--Students will be exercising more than their minds at public middle schools in the upcoming school year. A new state law requires student participation in a physical education class for one semester, or half a year, in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Previously, P.E. was an elective in middle school. "Most kids want to do P.E," said George Lockhart, principal of Roosevelt Middle School in West Palm Beach, adding that he expects very few if any objections from students or parents. "It's a non-issue as far as we're concerned." But it's another step in the state's efforts in recent years to combat childhood obesity. Since 2007, all …