ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Starting in January, DeKalb County students will get more recess time.

When the second half of the 2025-26 school year starts, all DeKalb County schools will implement a 30-minute recess.

Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton said schools in the district can make the change now and don’t have to wait until 2026.

Horton previously said the policy of 15 minutes for recess began in 2009. He also said elementary schools had the ability to make adjustments to recess time.

In August, a group of DeKalb County parents called “30 For Recess” started a petition that called for 30 minutes of daily recess for all schools. The group argued that 15 minutes was not enough time and cited research, including a CDC recommendation of at least 20 minutes of recess for a child

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