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Parents urge Amherst Central to restore recess protections after policy change
Summary
Two public commenters told the Amherst Central School District board that policy 5661's removal of minimum recess protections harms students and asked the board to adopt clear standards forbidding withholding recess, especially for younger students and those with learning differences.
Two parents told the Amherst Central School District Board of Education during public comment that the district's recent adoption of policy 5661, which they say removed minimum protections for recess, is harming students and should be changed.
Sam Smith, who identified himself at the start of public comment, said the superintendent had cited student autonomy for the change but argued that teacher autonomy should not extend to withholding recess. Smith said research shows removing recess is "ineffective as a disciplinary tool" and can "negatively affect students' behavior, attention, academic performance, and classroom climate." He asked the board to "reconsider the removal of the resource protections and adopt clear ethos standards that preserve recess for all students."
Mary Grace, who spoke about the impact on her 10-year-old daughter, described repeated instances in which recess was withheld for missing or forgetting homework and said the practice had caused her child stress, embarrassment and isolation. Mary Grace said the American Academy of Pediatrics regards recess as "an essential part of a child's school day, not a privilege to be earned or taken away," and urged the board to adopt a policy that forbids recess removal, "particularly for younger students and those with identified learning differences."
The two speakers cited national research and professional guidance while urging the board to set clear, districtwide standards so access to recess does not vary by individual teacher practice. Both speakers referenced policy 1510 (public-comment procedures) and policy 5661 (the district policy they said allowed removal of recess protections).
Board members did not debate or take action on the policy during the public-comment period; the board's public-comment statement reminded speakers that the board would listen but would not respond or take action at that meeting.
The board did not record any formal response or a change to policy 5661 in the transcript provided; next procedural steps on the policy were not specified.
