A group of parents called Parents for More Play asked the Henrico County School Board on June 12 to adopt a minimum of 45 minutes of daily recess for elementary students, emphasizing unstructured outdoor play and device-free indoor options.

Jen Himes, a parent from the Tuckahoe District who identified herself as speaking on behalf of Parents for More Play, cited research and the American Academy of Pediatrics in urging the board to increase recess time. "Recess is not a luxury. It is a fundamental need for every child's academic, social, emotional, physical development," Himes said.

Himes told the board that Virginia state law "states that recess may be included in the calculation of required instructional hours for elementary school, provided that it does not exceed 15% of the required instructional hours." She calculated that in Henrico’s 6½-hour school day, that 15% limit would amount to about 58 minutes per day and said the group was asking the division to find space in the schedule for 45 minutes of daily recess.

Himes said she would submit a petition of more than 500 signatures and provided a copy of a Hanover County document used to extend elementary recess there. She also listed other Virginia jurisdictions that have implemented more recess, including Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, Suffolk, Norfolk and Shenandoah counties.

The board did not act on the petition during the meeting. Per the school’s public forum rules, board members did not respond during public comment; a Henrico staff member was expected to follow up with the petitioner.