House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for SB339 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Requiring school districts to provide at least 30 minutes of daily recess time for students in grades kindergarten through five and designating such time as part of the school term.
Minutes Content for Thu, Jan 22, 2026
Chairman Erickson opened the hearing on SB339. Tamera Lawrence, Assistant Revisor, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, gave a brief overview of the bill and stood for questions. (Attachment 1)
Proponent:
John Mazin, Visiting Fellow FGA Action, said this bill is practical, forward-thinking, and simple. It reflects both science and what families and educators in Kansas see every day - children learn better when they have time to move, play, reset and do it with no added cost. Recess doesn't mean just free time, it means improved outcomes.(Attachment 2)
Brenda Scruggs Andrier, PhD, stated kids get bored, restless and are unable to pay attention in class. They may become unruly detracting others, becoming a class clown, starting fights or falling asleep. Recess promotes physical activity which is key to developing healthy active brains. (Attachment 3)
Proponent Written Only:
Jessica Kilby, Instructional Coach (Attachment 4)
Debby Potter, District 10 Member for the State Board of Education (Attachment 5)
Claudia Fury-Aguirre, Manager, Kansas Policy and Outreach, Aligned (Attachment 6)
Jill O'Connor, Precinct committee Woman, Overland Park 5-18 (Attachment 7)
Linda Highland, Private Citizen (Attachment 8)
Jonathan Smith, Private Citizen (Attachment 9)
Alexandra Shoup, Private Citizen (Attachment 10)
Opponent:
Cathy Hopkins and Beryl New, Legislative Liaisons, Kansas State Board of Education (KSDE), stressed school districts and local boards of education are best positioned to establish their school calendar and to determine the appropriate time dedicated during the school day to organized recess. Kansas State Department of Education provides guidance specifying up to 30 minutes a school day, in two 15 minute increments before and after lunch, which may be counted as part of the school day. This bill may cause confusion on how much organized recess time may be counted towards the required school hours. (Attachment 11)
Leah Fliter, Assistant Executive Director of Advocacy, Kansas Association of School Boards, opposes this bill based on her member-approved legislative platform that stresses local control. (Attachment 12)
Jerry Henn on behalf of Jim Karleskint, United School Administrators, said school districts are best positioned to determine instructional time and daily schedules that fit their unique circumstances and there is no flexibility in this bill. "One-size-fits-all" does not reflect the real world of schools. (Attachment 13)
Opponent Written Only:
Dr. Brent Yeager, Superintendent, Olathe Public Schools USD 233 (Attachment 14)
Discussion followed.
Chairman Erickson closed the hearing on SB339.
