Fairfax County Public Schools push to require recess for middle school students

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - There's a push in Fairfax County to make recess a universal requirement for middle school students.

FOX 5'S Maureen Umeh says this isn't an entirely new policy. Umeh says FCPS already has required recess for elementary school students under their Student and Staff Health and Wellness Policy.

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Now, they want to expand that requirement to middle school students under a proposed policy change.

FCPS would offer middle school students supervised recess every day for 15 minutes and to elementary school students in two separate 15-minute segments.

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School officials say this isn't anything new, Umeh reports, saying FCPS already has a variety of methods in place to give middle school students a break during the school day.

This policy change would just make recess guaranteed. School officials say middle schools across the system have already started incorporating recess into their schedules this school year so that FCPS could see what works prior to implementing an official policy.

Most School Board members say they support the change.

"Mental health professionals have expressed the benefits of a daily break for all, and most importantly, our students who enter our buildings at 7:30 a.m. and don't see a ray of sunshine until dismissal," said Board member Ricardy Anderson.

Even though there is support for this policy change, some School Board members expressed concern that they didn't have enough time to review the changes. A vote on it has been postponed at least until the next school board meeting scheduled for April 14.

If the proposed policy is approved, the changes would go into effect during the next school year.