Parents and students protested Tuesday to get mandatory recess for Orange County elementary schools.

The school board has said they will not enact a districtwide policy on recess, because there isn't enough time in the school day.

A group of parents called Recess for all Orange County Schools is not taking no for an answer.

The group is asking for 20 minutes of recess every day for all elementary school kids.

"Everybody is blaming someone else. Principals are blaming the district, the district is blaming the state, the state is saying the district can handle it, but what it basically comes down to is testing has become more important than our children," said Amy Narvaez, a mother.

Narvaez and almost 100 other mothers went to the school board two weeks ago. They were told no policy would be enacted. The group is now reaching out to state officials or anyone who will listen.

"I have yet to meet anyone that doesn't work for the district that doesn't believe that children deserve a daily break,” said Narvaez.

There is not a state-mandated recess policy. However, there is a physical education mandate of 150 hours a week.

Narvaez and other parents said it isn’t the same as having unstructured play time, which is something they said all their young children need.

“Some schools are getting 10 to 20 minutes per week of recess,” said Narvaez. “One school pulled five minutes three times a week from their lunch hour and they are calling that recess."

The school district said they would not be commenting further on the issue and that recess is not on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.