LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon County school board members are working to draft a policy that would make recess mandatory for elementary school students.
The "American Society of Health and Physical Educators", and the state PTA are pushing for a bill in the house that will allow students to have 100-minutes of recess time, separate from P.E. and classroom physical education programs.
In Leon County, staff members like Dr. Allen Cox, are working to draft an independent policy that would make at least 20-minutes of play mandatory.
The argument is that activity allows students to not only be more physically active, but helps improve focus in the classroom.
During the school board meeting, Dr. Cox reported the findings from a survey of 24 Leon County schools.
The study found that 100% of schools offered recess, but only 36% offered it on a daily basis.
26% made the time "optional" for teachers, and 86% kept recess separate from P.E. and other in-class physical education programs.
