Students ask Worcester School Committee to restore middle-school recess; item referred to subcommittee

A group of Worcester middle-school students told the School Committee they had researched evidence that short, structured daily recess benefits students— focus, mental health and social development and asked the committee to consider adding a 15-to-20-minute recess period for middle schools.

Student presenters said minor adjustments to class lengths (two to three minutes per period) could create time for recess without materially reducing instructional minutes. "Even just 15-20 minutes could make a big difference in how students feel and perform," a student presenter said during the civic action project presentation.

The committee referred the petition to the Teaching & Learning and Student Success Subcommittee (TLSS) for a hearing and said the students would be notified of the date and invited to present again. Member Guardiola confirmed the referral and encouraged the students to attend the subcommittee hearing.

Public commenters and parents at the meeting supported the petition and urged the committee to design an inclusive model that would accommodate students with different needs and to engage students in advisory roles during planning. Several speakers also urged that recess proposals include provisions for inclusion, supervision, and connections with physical-education and after-school programs.

The referral to TLSS starts the formal consideration process; the committee will notify petitioners of the subcommittee hearing date, during which the district will have an opportunity to present operational and scheduling implications.

The petition was filed as GB P-6-2 (referenced as CMP-6-2) and will be reviewed by the subcommittee as part of its upcoming agenda.