Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a study of recess held in elementary schools in kindergarten through grade six.
Summary
This bill directs the New York State Commissioner of Education to conduct a study of recess in charter and public elementary schools serving kindergarten through grade 6. The required study would survey schools to determine how many currently offer recess, how long and how often it is provided, whether it occurs indoors or outdoors, whether schools provide a dedicated space, whether recess is supervised or unsupervised, what barriers exist to offering recess, and whether the time is structured or includes unstructured play.
The commissioner must prepare a report of the findings by December 31, 2025, and submit it to the governor and legislative leaders, as well as the education committees and their ranking members. The report must also be posted publicly on the State Education Department website. The bill takes effect immediately and does not itself mandate recess, but it creates a formal state-level review of current recess practices and conditions in elementary schools.
Impact
The bill does not directly amend existing education statutes or impose new recess requirements on schools. Instead, it creates a reporting obligation for the Commissioner of Education and establishes a statewide data-gathering process concerning recess in public and charter elementary schools. Its practical impact would be to inform future policymaking by identifying how recess is currently provided, what barriers schools face, and whether additional statutory or regulatory action may be needed.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be a low-conflict informational bill rather than a controversial policy mandate. Its purpose is exploratory and data-driven, which typically draws neutral to favorable support from lawmakers interested in child development, school climate, and education policy. The available record does not show any formal opposition or divided vote.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials, but the survey topics suggest possible areas of debate if the study leads to future legislation. These could include whether recess should be mandatory, how much instructional time schools should devote to it, whether recess should be supervised or unstructured, and how charter and public schools may differ in implementation. Any future policy changes based on the study could raise concerns from educators about staffing, scheduling, facilities, and local control.
Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in public and charter schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six and to provide any information collected to the governor and the legislature.
Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in public and charter schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six and to provide any information collected to the governor and the legislature.
Requires each school district to ensure that every public school in which school days exceed five hours in duration provides up to thirty minutes of daily recess within the school day for all students in kindergarten through fifth grade and for students in sixth grade who attend an elementary school.
Requests the state Department of Education to study the feasibility of incorporating recess into schedules for elementary school students in grades kindergarten through three
Directs the commissioner of education to promulgate and review as necessary rules and regulations allowing trustees and boards of education of schools with a robotics program to conduct interschool robotics competitions for grades nine through twelve equivalent to the interschool athletic competitions conducted by such schools.
Adds to existing law to require public schools to offer daily recess to students in kindergarten through grade 5 and to encourage public schools to offer unstructured activity breaks for students in grades 6 through 8.
Adds to existing law to require public schools to offer daily recess to students in kindergarten through grade 5 and to encourage public schools to offer unstructured activity breaks for students in grades 6 through 8.
Adds to existing law to require public schools to offer daily recess to students in kindergarten through grade 5 and to encourage public schools to offer unstructured activity breaks for students in grades 6 through 8.