Education
Education

Legislation for school recess dies

FEBRUARY 24, 2017 ATLANTA Students in Lisa Cunningham's second grade class play during a recess at the Burgess-Peterson Academy. Kent D. Johnson/AJC
FEBRUARY 24, 2017 ATLANTA Students in Lisa Cunningham's second grade class play during a recess at the Burgess-Peterson Academy. Kent D. Johnson/AJC
By Ty Tagami
March 31, 2017

Legislation that inspired passionate testimony from children died under Georgia's Gold Dome Thursday as this year's legislative session came to an end.

House Bill 273 started life as a mandate for a half an hour of daily recess in schools. It was amended by a Senate committee to a mandate to schedule recess but only a recommendation to follow that schedule.

The bill passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming 147-17 in early March but was not called up for a vote by the Senate.

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

Follow Ty Tagami on facebookFollow Ty Tagami on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Students put their cellphone in a box before heading to class at Sylvan Hills Middle School in Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Education wants lawmakers to expand a cellphone ban. (AJC file)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC

Georgia education leaders call for cellphone ban in high schools

The Georgia Department of Education wants to ban cellphones in high schools too, not just K-8 classrooms.

Acting Dekalb superintendent gets salary bump, 1-year contract to ensure ‘stable leadership’

The contract, obtained via an open records request, doesn't mean Sauce will be the permanent superintendent of the DeKalb County School District.

Lovett School gets ‘historic’ $30 million gift from Rollins family

The gift honors the oldest child of Randall and Peggy Rollins, who died in 1970.

The Latest

Students put their cellphone in a box before heading to class at Sylvan Hills Middle School in Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Education wants lawmakers to expand a cellphone ban. (AJC file)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC

Georgia education leaders call for cellphone ban in high schools

Acting Dekalb superintendent gets salary bump, 1-year contract to ensure ‘stable leadership’

Lovett School gets ‘historic’ $30 million gift from Rollins family

Featured

Cooling towers for Units 4 and 3 are seen at Plant Vogtle, operated by Georgia Power Co., in east Georgia's Burke County near Waynesboro, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Analysts warn Georgia Power bills will rise if PSC approves data center buildout

Analysts are warning Georgia Power's residential customers could see monthly bills jump $20 or more if state regulators approve the company's planned data center expansion.

GHSA suspends 39 Gainesville football players for brawl that ended playoff game

The Gainesville-Brunswick game was discontinued with 1:57 left in the third quarter when the fight began. Gainesville was leading 42-0.

Here’s when metro Atlanta interstates will be busiest this holiday week

Experts say more than 2 million Peach State residents will travel by car for Thanksgiving.