Oklahoma City Public Schools teachers are working 20 extra minutes every day this school year, and educators and their union say the legislature never consulted them.
The longer day took effect when OKCPS classes resumed Aug. 11, driven by Senate Bill 1481's mandate that all elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade receive 40 minutes of daily recess. That's double the previous 20-minute requirement. To make room without cutting instructional time, the district's Board of Education voted unanimously on Monday, July 13, to extend the school day across all grade levels.
The new bell schedules:
- Elementary schools: 8:10 a.m.–3:20 p.m. (previously 8:20 a.m.–3:10 p.m.)
- High schools: 7:35 a.m.–2:45 p.m. (previously 7:35 a.m.–2:25 p.m.)
- Middle schools: 8:50 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (previously 9:10 a.m.–4:00 p.m.)
Brad Herzer, OKCPS chief talent officer, said at the July 13 board meeting that the district extended the day for every grade level rather than just elementary to avoid having some teachers work longer than others.
But teachers say the real-world impact goes well beyond 20 minutes on paper.
Teachers say transition time eats into learning
Oklahoma Education Association President Cari Elledge said lawmakers failed to account for what happens between the playground and the classroom.
"When you're leaving the playground to go into your classroom, the kids are going to have to adjust to the heat. They're going to have to adjust to the air conditioning. They're going to have to go to the restroom," Elledge told KFOR. "And that time is something that we don't think about when we think about the structured part of an education day."
Elledge said the OEA wants legislators to consult educators before passing mandates that reshape the school day. The law also bars teachers from withholding recess as a disciplinary consequence, which educators described as losing a key classroom management tool.
Teachers posting anonymously in the Oklahoma Edvocates Facebook group after the first full week of classes cited unpaid extra minutes, lost instructional time and dangerous heat exposure during outdoor recess. Oklahoma City had logged 28 consecutive days above 90 degrees as of Aug. 14, according to The Oklahoman, with 2026 ranking among the city's top 10 hottest summers on record.
Why 20 minutes?
The Oklahoma State Department of Education told districts in June that recess minutes would now count against required instructional time. OSDE later revised its guidance, requiring districts to deduct only 20 of the 40 recess minutes for 2026-27, according to a July 15 letter from Mid-Del Superintendent Dr. Rick Cobb explaining the same mandate's impact on that district. Previously, recess had never been deducted from instructional time calculations.
The OKCPS press release framed the change as supporting students' physical health, social-emotional development and academic success.
Who voted and who wasn't in the room
Board Chair Paula Lewis made the motion at the July 13 meeting. Dana Meister seconded. All seven members present voted aye: Lewis, Carole A. Thompson, Jessica Cifuentes, Meister, Vernona Dismuke, Juan Lecona and Galilea Martinez. Vice Chair Lori Bowman was absent. Speakers at the meeting acknowledged that teachers were not part of the decision-making process, according to board records.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed SB 1481 in April. Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, authored the bill, which took effect July 1 under an emergency declaration.
The next regularly scheduled OKCPS board meeting date has not been confirmed in district records. Families can check the board calendar at okcps.org for upcoming meetings and public comment opportunities.
