Department of Education officials admit city schools are falling short of state regulations when it comes to providing gym for students. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed this report.

Running, jumping, kicking are all.activities students aren't doing enough of in city public schools. 

"Schools continue to struggle with meeting the state PE requirements, with staffing, class scheduling and space contributing to these challenges," Deputy Schools Chancellor Elizabeth Rose said in a City Council hearing Wednesday.

The state mandates two hours of gym each week for grade school students, and three periods of physical education a week, taught by a certified teacher, in middle and high schools.

A report by the city comproller, however, found that 32 percent of city schools don't have a full time certified gym teacher and 28 percent don't even have space for physical activities. 

The City Council education committee summoned Education Department officials for an explanation Wednesday.

Committee chairman Danny Dromm, a former grade school teacher, says its an issue he knows all too well. 

"I'd say for most of my 25 years in the department, my class never got gym because there just was not anywhere we could do it," said Councilman Daniel Dromm. 

The de Blasio administration often blames the Bloomberg administration for problems like this, but when it comes to the lack of gym class, officials reached back even further. 

"Our PE challenges date back to New York City's near bankrupy in 1975. Funding was reduced and central support for PE was virtually eliminated," Rose said.

Now, for the first time, the DOE says it's begun collecting data on whether schools are scheduling students to take the required amount of gym. 

It's found 43 percent of high schools and 39 percent of middle schools fall short. The department still doesn't have data on elementary schools. 

The education officials say they are working on a comprehensive plan for how to deal with all these issues, but don't expect it anytime soon. 

"I don't think we have a firm deadline yet but we are working on it," said Lindsey Harr of the Department of Education.

Advocates and health experts, who rallied before the hearing, say the state mandate of two hours a week should just be a start. The American Heart Association recommends that schools provide at least 30 minutes a day.