Pennsylvania schools will be required to provide at least 30 minutes of recess each full school day to students in kindergarten through fifth grade beginning with the 2027-28 school year.
Gov. Josh Shapiro highlighted the new statewide requirement during a visit with Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to North Wales Elementary School in Montgomery County. Shapiro also ceremonially signed House Bill 1505, which established the recess requirement through the state’s 2026-27 budget.
Schools have until the start of the 2027-28 academic year to incorporate the additional recess time into their schedules. North Wales Elementary currently provides 20 minutes of recess and plans to add 10 minutes next school year to meet the requirement.
The administration said daily recess gives children time for physical activity, social interaction and unstructured play while helping them develop collaboration, conflict-resolution and self-regulation skills. Physical activity may also help students return to class better prepared to focus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents receive at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Schools can help students work toward that goal by providing opportunities for movement during the school day.
The recess mandate was included in a state budget that increased Pennsylvania’s public-school funding to nearly $12 billion for 2026-27. According to the administration, state education funding has increased by more than $3 billion, or nearly 35%, since Shapiro took office.
The budget includes $8.32 billion for basic education and $1.58 billion for special education. It also maintains $125 million for school infrastructure improvements and provides more than $100 million for school safety and mental health programs.
Other education provisions continue universal free breakfast for Pennsylvania’s approximately 1.7 million public-school students and provide $3 million for free menstrual hygiene products in schools.
The recess requirement will apply statewide, including elementary schools in Adams County. Local districts will be responsible for determining how to fit the required 30 minutes into their daily schedules.
Source: pa.gov