Students in Seattle Public Schools are coming home hungry and with full lunch boxes each day as a result of new cuts by the district to lunch and recess times, Seattle parents have discovered. Children participating in the Free & Reduced Meal program and children who have disabilities are suffering the most. Parent observations have found that at least 50 schools in Seattle do not provide the 20 minutes of seated lunch time that is recommended by experts and required by district policy. Parents and concerned community members held a rally at the Seattle Public Schools headquarters in SODO on Wednesday afternoon to present their initial findings to the district’s board and demand the district take action to restore appropriate lunch and recess times.

“My kids were coming home hungry each day and I couldn’t understand why, until I went to the school and saw that my son had just 6 minutes to eat, and some kids had even less time,” said Deb Escher, a parent of two children at Whittier Elementary School in Seattle. “I send sack lunches with my kids now, but what about the kids who depend on a school lunch as one of their only sources of healthy food? We would like to see the district to take swift and effective action to correct this major health and human rights violation for Seattle Public School children.”

“In order to pay attention in class, your stomach can't be growling and your legs can't be itching to run,” said Mattie Holec, a 5th grade student at Whittier.

A group of concerned parents at Whittier Elementary School began organizing upon learning that their children's lunch and recess time was cut yet again for this school year. Parents also reported their own children were coming home hungry, with low blood sugar, and often had full lunchboxes due to a lack of time to finish their meals.

After launching a Facebook group, Lunch & Recess Matter, they heard from over 1,000 parents and community members across the region that children at other schools in the district were also being denied enough time to eat and play.

Parent observations have found that many schools in Seattle have only 15 minutes of lunch and 15 minutes of recess. As a result, children who eat hot lunch often had as little as 4 to 6 minutes of actual seated eating time to finish their meal. For example, Whittier students who brought sack lunches had an average of 10.5 minutes to eat, while kids who get hot lunch—including those receiving free and reduced lunches—have an average of 7 minutes to eat, as their 15-minute lunch period includes time standing in line for food. Parents also reported their own children were coming home hungry, with low blood sugar, and often had full lunchboxes due to a lack of time to finish their meals.

The American Association of Pediatrics recommends children have 20 minutes of seated lunchtime to eat their food. Seattle Public Schools’ lunch policy also requires children be given 20 minutes of seated lunchtime, but the reductions to recess and lunch time made at the beginning of this school year means that in practice, this policy is not being followed. Seattle Public Schools currently has no minimum recess time policy, unlike other large districts in the state such as Tacoma.

“Students and parents return to school each year to find that recess has been further reduced,” said Jana Robbins, a parent at Leschi elementary. “Research has shown that adequate recess time actually improves student behavior and academic goals. Children who have recess are better able to manage their behavior and focus on learning in the classroom. It’s time for the school district to give our children more recess.”

Parent observations found that Title I and schools with high percentages of kids on free and reduced meals are suffering the most, as these schools have some of the shortest lunchtimes and longest lines for food. Many of these children rely on school lunches as their only healthy meals in their day, and it is clear that district-approved school schedules are preventing them from having time to eat it. Parents have observed kids eating over the garbage cans, because they are so rushed to finish eating.

“My first graders continually complain about lack of time to eat. They are so anxious to get their recess time that they rush through lunch. We pick them up at 4 and often have meltdowns that seem related to hunger. I wish there was a relaxed feeling at lunchtime with the confidence they will still get to play. Some kids say the lose recess time for ‘bad’ classroom behavior which creates a climate of stress for all the kids,” said Anneleen Severynen, a SPS parent.

Parents asked school district officials this afternoon to take the following four actions to address the problem:

1) Immediately conduct an audit of actual lunch & recess times in the next 30 days, and including the parents' group in the design and oversight of the research.

2) Use the audit data to immediately correct problems in any school where kids have less than 20 minutes of actual seated lunchtime, not including time needed for transitions, standing in line, or bussing tables. Parents are willing to partner with the district, unions, and other parents to negotiate solutions if necessary. Parents do not want additional lunchtime to be created by further reducing recess times.

3) Partner with the district on the creation of a true, comprehensive Wellness Policy, as required by the state of Washington, including a clear recess policy for better transparency, accountability and protection of children's health and well-being.

4) Once a policy is formed, present the public with a plan for implementation in the 2015-16 school year, including a plan for accountability and enforcement of these policies.

“The increase in high-stakes testing has been one of the driving factors in the reduction of recess time. The obsession with standardized test scores has led schools to require more test-prep time and is leading to cuts in lunch and recess time. Playing and eating should be human rights. This is a civil rights issue for our youth,” said Jesse Hagopian, teacher at Garfield high school and a SPS parent.

More information available:

Lunch and Recess Matter Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LunchMatters/
More quotes and personal stories: http://bit.ly/1AkDKFR
Policies and Secondary Research: http://bit.ly/1vKsD0Y
Photos of lunch and recess at Whittier: http://bit.ly/1wy0Sgj