Senate Bill 1481 | Mid-Del
Mid-Del Families, Staff, and Community:
This spring, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1481, and Governor Stitt signed it into law, creating a new mandate that all elementary school students have 40 minutes of recess per school day. In June, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) informed school district leaders that we would have to deduct these minutes from our calculation of instructional time. They then issued further guidance stating that for the 2026-27 school year, we would only have to deduct 20 of those minutes.
In previous years, we have NEVER had to deduct recess minutes from instructional time. Even during floor discussions over SB 1481, many legislators mentioned that unstructured play is a critical component of student development – instruction, in other words.
To accommodate this new mandate and the surprise interpretation of it by OSDE, we will be adding 20 minutes of instructional time to the elementary school day. This will impact bus routes and breakfast service for middle schools as well. For the school year beginning on August 12, 2026, the following schedule changes will be in place:
2026-2027 School Schedule
Elementary Schools:
Buses Arrive/Breakfast Begins - 8:15 am (New Time)
School Begins - 8:40 am (New Time)
School Ends - 3:50 pm
Middle Schools:
Buses Arrive/Breakfast Begins - 7:45 am (New Time)
School Begins - 8:25 am
School Ends - 3:20 pm
I understand that this adjustment may create challenges for some families. That is why we wanted to get this information out as soon as possible. School starts exactly four weeks from today, and we don’t want these changes to keep us from getting off to a great start and having an exciting year.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rick Cobb
Mid Del Superintendent