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Midwest City-Del City superintendent says state guidance on recess will move elementary start times earlier
Summary
The Midwest City-Del City superintendent announced that, after state guidance on Senate Bill 1481, elementary schools will begin instruction 20 minutes earlier this year (moving from 9:00 a.m. to 8:40 a.m.) to make up instructional minutes lost to mandated recess.
The superintendent of MIDWEST CITY-DEL CITY schools announced that the district will start elementary instruction 20 minutes earlier for the upcoming school year after guidance from the state Department of Education said mandated recess cannot count as instructional time.
The superintendent said the change follows Senate Bill 1481 (cited in the transcript as “senate bill 14 81”), which requires 40 minutes of daily recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and was signed by the governor this past spring. “The guidance said that we cannot count that recess time as instructional time,” the superintendent said, adding that the state told districts to deduct 20 minutes this year and 40 minutes next year from reported instructional minutes.
“Because we’re having to back up elementary start times, we’re also going to have to back up bus routes for middle school,” the superintendent said, describing operational impacts that include earlier arrival times and moving breakfast service. The superintendent noted that last year elementary instruction began at 9:00 a.m. and that this year instruction will begin at 8:40 a.m., and said the district will notify families and staff about adjusted bus schedules and meal service.
The superintendent framed the change as an administrative response to the state’s interpretation of the law, while reiterating support for protecting recess: “I still support the concept of protecting recess time for all of our students.” The district emphasized the need to communicate the adjustments promptly, noting there is about a month until the first day of school.
Officials said they will address how to handle the full 40-minute deduction next year at a later date and did not provide further details on transportation route changes or whether school-day lengths beyond start time adjustments will be altered. The district’s announcement closes with a commitment to share more specific information with families and staff before school begins.
