Middle and high school students in Gainesville will likely have an equivalent to recess, as the first reading of a board policy revision was passed by the Gainesville City Schools Board of Education.

Under the current policy, “unstructured” break time is allowed only for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

The revision would remove language prohibiting the break time for middle-schoolers and add the provision for high school students.

Superintendent Merrianne Dyer said research has supported the notion that physical activity promotes learning.

“With the brain research and the effort to combat obesity, schools are beginning to do these things and we realized that our board policy did not have this in place for grades six through 12,” said Dyer. “We wanted to revisit the policy and have it reflect what is best practice to do.”

Under the new policy, each school could schedule “structured break times” for students. The break could be a simple walk or a pickup soccer game.

“I think it’s a very positive policy to have that would give (students) the freedom to have this break time, this physical activity, because my goodness, the kids need it desperately,” said board member Delores Diaz. “It gives them the freedom and flexibility to do it if they so choose. It’s a great idea.”

The policy was last reviewed in December of 2008 and -reflects the state’s requirement for breaks for elementary students.

Schools would individually implement the break, if they so choose.

“Some of the schools are practicing it already, so we wanted it to be supported by board policy,” said Dyer.

The policy will likely go through its second reading at the board’s Nov. 19 meeting before adoption.