KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — A new state law, passed with overwhelming support, will soon require elementary schools to ensure students get more daily physical activity. Starting July 1, the current weekly requirement of 130 minutes will shift to a new standard, 40 minutes of physical activity each day, increasing students’ daily movement time by almost 15 minutes.
SB0158 increases mandatory minimums of physical activity time for schools across Tennessee. The law specifies that physical activity includes walking, jumping rope, playing volleyball, or other forms of physical activity that promote fitness.
It prioritizes exercise over screen time and said those 40 minutes a day cannot include time when a student is permitted to use an electronic device. That time can also not include walking to and from class or time spent in a physical education class…