Superintendent explains recess-law interpretation, effect on instructional minutes and snow-day bank

Kristen Durkee told the board that a recent change to state recess law increased required recess minutes from 20 to 40 and that the state superintendent granted a one-year accommodation allowing 20 of those minutes to be counted as instructional time for this school year. She warned that if the state Department of Education maintains a stricter interpretation in future years, the district could face adding minutes to the school day or extending the school year to avoid losing banked snow days.

Durkee explained the operational details: the district historically counted 20 minutes as instructional time; the recent law added another 20 minutes that the State Department of Education initially interpreted as non-instructional. "So when they doubled the recess time, that meant that all 40 of those minutes, they were not gonna let us count as instructional minutes," she said, and the superintendent of public instruction later allowed 20 to be counted this year. Durkee said the district currently has slightly fewer than five banked snow days and that further loss of banked minutes could require the district to add minutes to the day or add days to the school year.

Board members asked about breakfast times, tardies and transportation constraints; staff said breakfast service will continue and teachers will record instructional attendance when students are in the classroom after recess/breakfast periods. The board was told staff will publish an explanatory podcast and continue communications so families understand start-time and breakfast arrangements.