Steps you can take

If students in K-5 aren’t getting the 30 minutes of recess now in law, here's some things you can do:

✶ Alert your school. They likely know about the law because the IL Association of School Administrators and IL Principals Association  shared lots of information about the bill as it was being debated in Springfield last Spring. Either way, point your school admin to the language of the new law which can be found here: Public Act 102-0357

    Sample email to send to administrators

✶ Make other parents at your school aware. Not everyone knows about this new law, so spread the word via social media, conversations at pick up time, or parent meetings.  If the school gives you pushback about implementing the law, it will be important to have a group of people who care about this issue. Some materials to share:

• IL-FPS FAQ: The Right to Play Every Day: What parents and schools need to know (download in English and Spanish at the link)
• Facebook post to share with highlights of FAQ

✶ Speak at a public meeting. You may need to find opportunities to speak at a meeting of your school board, PTO/PTA, local school council or Parent Advisory Council if you don’t get a helpful response from your school.

We have additional resources to share listed here and at the end of our FAQ doc about why recess is a critical part of the learning experience, including these:

• Policy Statement: The Crucial Role of Recess. (2013) Pediatrics 131 (1). Reaffirmed August 2016 
• National Association of School Nurses. (2019). Supporting Scheduled Recess Position Statement.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Society of Health and Physical Educators. (2017) Strategies for Recess in Schools.

✶ Contact your state legislators. If your school/district is not receptive, talk to your state rep and state senator. This bill passed with strong support in the General Assembly. Enlist your state rep and senator’s help by contacting their office and letting them know SB654 took effect 8/13/21 but your child's school is not in compliance.  

Find your state rep and state senator here 

To see if your legislator voted yes on this bill, look here. 

✶ Need more advice? Send us an email, and we help you brainstorm some additional strategies: [email protected]

Sample Daily Schedule 1 (7hr day)

Sample Daily Schedule 2 (7hr day)