CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – More than a year after a group of Clarksville-Montgomery County School System moms worked with lawmakers to expand recess in elementary schools, they are now pushing for more recess in middle schools.

The mothers behind Say Yes to Recess (SYTR) have already been successful in getting expanded recess in CMCSS. They are turning their attention to the Tennessee General Assembly, pushing for a daily middle school recess requirement statewide.

CMCSS expands middle school recess

CMCSS has begun implementing recess across all eight middle schools, with each campus incorporating unstructured activity time into its schedule.

District spokesperson Anthony Johnson confirmed the change to Clarksville Now, noting that while state law requires 90 minutes of physical activity per week for middle and high school students, recess is not mandated. “The 40-minute daily recess law is specific to elementary schools,” Johnson said.

However, he said, district leaders began discussing middle school recess in 2025 after SYTR raised concerns at a School Board meeting. “As the Recess Moms mentioned at the time, around half of our middle schools had already implemented innovative schedules that incorporated unstructured activity time for students, in addition to physical education and health classes,” Johnson said.

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He added that all eight middle schools now have unstructured activity time, though schedules vary based on facilities and logistics. “We will continue refining our learning environments to support student growth and look forward to continued collaboration with the Recess Moms,” he said.

Rachel Bush, a founding member of SYTR, said implementing middle school recess ensures students who do not take P.E. – including those in music or other electives – still receive required physical activity.

“We’re so thrilled that CMCSS has agreed to implement (middle school) recess this year,” Bush said.

Why middle school recess matters

Bush said SYTR bases its advocacy on research. “There is no science anywhere that we can find – that’s credible – that says recess should just stop once you hit middle school,” she said. “It actually recommends recess and physical activity all the way through high school, and then after that, even as adults.”

Bush said recess provides benefits beyond physical activity, noting that unlike P.E., recess is unstructured. “Even as adults, we get an hour lunch break and we get to decide what we do – that’s what a break is,” she said.

The group also looked at TCAP scores after elementary recess expanded. “We’re getting word that TCAP scores are the highest they’ve been in 10 years,” Bush said. “We think recess contributed to those test scores, however, it wasn’t the sole thing. Teachers and admin have been working really hard.”

Recess important socially, emotionally

Organizer Kathryn Truman said middle school students benefit academically and socially from breaks. “Middle school students don’t outgrow the need for recess – they need it just as much, just in different ways,” Truman said. “Recess gives students the opportunity to move, connect with peers, reset their attention, and return to the classroom ready to learn. It’s not a break from education; it’s an essential part of helping students succeed academically, socially and emotionally.”

“If we want healthier students, stronger school cultures, and better learning outcomes, we need to stop viewing recess as something children age out of and start recognizing it as a developmental necessity,” Truman said.

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Morgan Garner, also a founding member, said recess supports students’ emotional development. “There’s nothing magical that happens at 11 years old that suddenly changes a child’s need for recess,” Garner said. “If anything, I’d argue middle schoolers need it more than anyone. Those years are socially hard, and learning how to navigate them in a safe place, like school, is incredibly important. Recess isn’t just about burning energy – it’s about giving kids the freedom and space to develop socially and emotionally outside the confines of a classroom.”

Legislative push paused, now restarting

SYTR originally planned to pursue middle school legislation during the last Tennessee General Assembly session. But when a bill was filed that would have allowed P.E. to count as elementary recess and permitted educators to restrict recess as punishment, the group shifted focus.

Bush said they had to go from “offense to defense” to preserve their elementary recess efforts before moving on to middle schools.

The bill ultimately failed in committee, and the group has already started meeting with lawmakers ahead of the 2027 session.

Bush said the weekly 90 minutes of physical activity is not enough, and the group is pushing for daily mandated recess. She added that recess benefits teachers as well. “This is not just for students, this is a push for teachers to get outside as well,” she said. “I think it’s a benefit for everybody.”

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Bush said many parents had asked them to advocate for middle school recess and encouraged families to reach out to their child’s middle school principal or their representatives to share feedback on recess implementation and ask how to support the initiative. “There’s understandably a fear of implementing recess a.k.a. means taking time away from a subject,” she said, adding that research indicates recess actually benefits students academically.

Movement growing beyond Tennessee

In 2025, SYTR transitioned into a nonprofit organization. Garner previously told Clarksville Now that this Montgomery County group has “sparked into a nationwide movement,” with advocates from across the country reaching out for guidance.

Garner said groups from over a dozen other states had connected with her about their push for recess changes. SYTR has also helped establish chapters in six other states as similar campaigns gain traction nationwide.

Organizers have said their longterm goal is two 30-minute recess periods per school day, a standard they argue better supports student focus, behavior and well-being, according to previous reports.

How we got here: Recess in Tennessee

  • 2023: Clarksville parents begin raising concerns about limited recess time in elementary schools. State law requires 130 minutes of physical activity per week.
  • 2024: CMCSS expands elementary recess to 30 minutes per day. Say Yes to Recess Tennessee forms and begins statewide advocacy.
  • May 27, 2025: Gov. Bill Lee signs legislation requiring at least 40 minutes of unstructured physical activity per school day for elementary students.
  • Late 2025: SYTR shifts focus toward middle school physical activity requirements.
  • January 2026: HB 2027 is filed, proposing changes on how elementary recess requirements are defined. SYTR shifts focus toward preserving the elementary recess bill.
  • March 2026: HB 2027 dies in Education Administration Subcommittee and SYTR reshifts focus back to middle school recess.
  • August 2026: CMCSS implements recess across all middle schools.

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