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The Tomah School Board approved the district’s new Exercise and Sports Science curriculum on Thursday during its monthly meeting at the Miller Elementary School gymnasium.

The new curriculum puts a larger emphasis on physical fitness and lifetime exercise. The district received a $660,000 physical fitness grant from the federal government, which sparked much of the change.

“The teachers are all very excited about it,” curriculum coordinator Gloria Winchell said. “I haven’t heard of anyone who is uncomfortable with it.”

Part of the change includes new fitness equipment for all nine school buildings and a new fitness center built at Tomah High School. The board passed the new curriculum with a unanimous vote.

The board also discussed annual recommended resolutions from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards Inc. (WASB). The board supported a number of resolutions, including one that supports a state commitment to provide two-thirds state funding of state-wide school costs to ensure that school districts receive state budget information and state aid payments in a timely manner. The board also supported a resolution that will establish timely test administration, scoring schedules and reporting procedures. According to the resolution, this would enhance the ability of districts to improve student achievement, placement and classroom teaching.

“When you get test scores months and months later, this is something we should support,” Superintendent Bob Fasbender said.

Board member Dave Stutzman will be attending the WASB convention held Jan. 23-25 in Milwaukee. School Board president Gene Baumgarten will be recognized for 21 years of service at the convention.