OWASSO, Okla. — Owasso families will notice a small but meaningful change to the school day this fall — and a new state law is behind it.
Starting this school year, the school day will be one minute longer. Elementary schools will dismiss at 3:46 p.m., and secondary schools will dismiss at 2:46 p.m.
WATCH: Owasso schools to dismiss one minute later for new recess law
The change stems from two developments in late June. The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced that recess can no longer count toward formal instructional time. At the same time, Oklahoma Senate Bill 1481 took effect, requiring 40 minutes of daily recess for kindergarten through 5th grade — doubling the previous 20-minute requirement.
To stay in compliance without disrupting the existing school calendar, the district chose to extend the school day by one minute rather than add full instructional days to the school year.
Owasso teacher Maggie Dye said the district is prepared for the adjustment.
"Because of the new law about recess, we are adding that extra minute to stay in state compliance and we're ready," Dye said.
Teachers say the additional recess time will benefit students inside the classroom as well.
Owasso teacher Ricki Nichols said the value of unstructured play goes beyond the playground.
"It's so important. The kids need to play. They need to get their energy out and they need to run around and they need to have time for each other and talk to their friends out on the playground," Nichols said.
Nichols added that the extra time outdoors should translate to better focus during lessons.
"I think the kids will be able to focus better because they were able to play and they were able to get their energy out," Nichols said.
Families with questions about the updated bell schedule are encouraged to contact their child's principal before school starts in August.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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