ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A group of parents held a rally Tuesday in front of district headquarters and said they'll keep fighting for recess in all Orange County elementary schools.
The parents are calling for a district-wide policy that requires at least 20 minutes of recess each day for students. They want the recess period to be separate from physical education classes.
"Something as simple as the difference between PE and recess, and we still have board members that don't understand that," parent Amy Navarez said.
District officials said the decision is left up to schools' individual principals. Out of the district's 123 elementary schools, 100 of them have some form of recess, but in some cases it's not on a daily basis.
"I just want them to use their time. My child learns better if she can move," parent Jacqui Myers said.
The group is hoping to eventually get on the school board meeting agenda so parents can voice their concerns.
"These are the littlest of our children and if we can't find 20 minutes a day to give these small children a break, then we've just lost our way," Navarez said.
School board members discussed the issue at a recent meeting but said there are no plans to reconsider the policy.