DeKalb County parents concerned over elementary school recess cuts

Parents rally for longer recess time

Some DeKalb County parents are concerned after seeing their elementary students' recess time cut to 15 minutes a day.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Some DeKalb County parents are voicing their concerns over the school district's decision to cut recess time for elementary students.

The parents attended a DeKalb County Board of Education meeting on Monday night to call for district officials to restore play time to at least 30 minutes.

What we know:

When DeKalb County elementary students returned to class last week, some of the children saw that their recess time had been cut to 15 minutes.

The cuts are part of an effort by the school district to expand literacy instruction to two hours for elementary school students.

While not all schools in the area were affected by the cuts, many were, which has led parents to organize in an effort to give their children more of what the district calls "unstructured break time."

Under a law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022, children in Kindergarten through fifth grade must have recess every day, but the length and timing of those breaks are up to local school boards.

What they're saying:

District leaders told parents in an email that the policy of requiring at least 15 minutes of recess hasn't changed in more than a decade, and the changes this year are due to the expansion of academic instruction. 

"There were a few schools that had longer recess times and had to adjust their schedules this year to accommodate strategic targeted priorities. Schools have flexibility to schedule more time for recess if the required instructional minutes for each subject area are aligned with the school district’s expectations," DeKalb County Superintendent Devon Horton said in a statement released to Decaturish last week about the change.

The other side:

Some parents have argued that their children deserve more than the bare minimum. They've created a group, known as 30 for Recess, to push to make recess a priority and have their voice heard on the issue.

"Our children need that outside time. They need that time to expend energy, to reload the serotonin, the dopamine in their brains, and then their able to concentrate and learn," parent Susana Giackero told the board.

Susana Giackero is one of the DeKalb County parents calling for a longer recess. (FOX 5) 

Advocates have created an online petition that has received more than 2,000 signatures.

The group argues that a longer recess helps support children's physical health, social skills, and emotional regulation.

"Recess helps children reset mentally - improving focus and learning retention. The CDC's 20-minute recommendation is the floor - not the ceiling," state Rep. Karla Drenner said during the meeting.

What's next:

The parents ran out of time last night with many still waiting to speak.

Board members encouraged those who want to talk about the issue to attend their next meeting on Sept. 8.

For parent Susana Giackero, she wanted to take the issue statewide.

"I would love to see state law mandating 30 minutes minimum," she said. "That's my goal."