New policy at Philadelphia public schools guarantees daily lunch, bathroom access and ends collective punishment
Parents, school leaders and city officials are celebrating the adoption of a new student wellness policy in the School District of Philadelphia — one that for the first time guarantees daily recess, protects access to water and bathrooms, and bans silent lunches and collective punishment.
The School Board approved the policy late last week after roughly 18 months of organizing by parents with Lift Every Voice Philly, an advocacy group that pushed for district-wide standards to protect students' basic needs during the school day.
Kindergartener Ellis Spence said recess is his favorite part of the day.
"Because you can play with your friends, you can run, and get out all your energy," Ellis said.
Under the new policy, that opportunity is now guaranteed every day.
The policy prohibits collective punishment — such as taking recess away from an entire class because of a few students' behavior — and bans silent lunches, a practice some students said felt unfair.
"Because one table of kids was very, very loud. And then they made everybody do it," third grader Gus Nelson said. "It just made me feel like, what did I do wrong?"
Organizers with Lift Every Voice Philly said concerns about silent lunches and group discipline were not isolated incidents.
"We just knew from talking to hundreds and hundreds of parents across the district that regardless of what school kids went to, we were seeing the same patterns," said Amy Faulring, a parent and board member with the organization.
Faulring said families also raised concerns about limited access to water and bathroom breaks — issues she said affected children's dignity and ability to focus in class.
"Parents who were sending their kids in Depends to school because they were worried they were not going to get access to the bathroom," Faulring said. "It wasn't just one-offs. We know they were happening across the district at different schools."
Advocates say those stories prompted parents to show up at City Council and School Board meetings, pressing for clear, district-wide protections.
The newly adopted policy codifies standards guaranteeing daily recess, regular movement and access to water and restrooms across the district's schools.
Superintendent Tony Watlington said the policy has his full support.
"I want to thank members of Lift Every Voice," Watlington said. "I wish we had done this a lot sooner."
The district says the policy is already in effect and that school staff members are being trained to ensure it is implemented consistently.
For students like Nelson, the changes send an important message.
"Really happy to know that people wanted to change — and make kids have more joy," he said.