(SPS) -- Oklahoma Senate Bill 1481, which went into effect July 1, 2026, mandates that all public schools provide at least 40 minutes of daily recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
While district administrators agree this additional recess time will benefit our elementary students, school districts must still meet state instruction requirements. According to the legislation, recess time is considered non-instructional time. Most school districts across the state, including Sapulpa, must lengthen the school day to meet this new requirement.
For the 2026-27 school year, Sapulpa Public Schools will implement the following to accommodate the additional recess time required:
All elementary schools in the district, PreK through fifth grade, will start each school day ten minutes earlier.
The end of the school day will not change.
PLC Mondays will begin ten minutes earlier at elementary schools.
Elementary bus routes will run ten minutes earlier.
Latchkey hours will not change.
This change will not affect secondary schools (6-12).
Our goal is to notify families of this change as soon as possible so any necessary adjustments can be made to ensure students arrive at school on time each day.
School bell times starting with the 2026-27 school year are as follows:
Freedom, Holmes Park and Jefferson Heights Elementary Schools
Monday (PLC Days) 9:20 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday 8:50 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Liberty Elementary STEM Academy
Monday (PLC Days) 8:30 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.
Doors will open in time for breakfast service. Breakfast service times are as follows:
Freedom, Holmes Park and Jefferson Heights Elementary Schools
Monday 8:40 - 9:20 a.m.
Tuesday-Friday 8:10 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.
Liberty Elementary STEM Academy
Monday 7:50 - 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday-Friday 7:20 - 8:00 a.m.
If families noted that a student will ride a school bus for 2026-27, they will receive an email from the transportation department about bus stops and schedules before school begins.
District leaders are also working on new parking solutions for Sapulpa High School and Sapulpa Junior High School as construction of the new Sapulpa High School campus continues. Those changes will be announced soon.
The first day of school is Thursday, August 20, 2026. A comprehensive Back to School Guide is available at sapulpaps.org/backtoschool.
SPS would like to thank families for their flexibility and understanding as elementary schools implement the new bell schedule and additional recess time.
