PHOENIX — State senators decided Wednesday that when it comes to elementary education, recess is as important as reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.

 On a 17-10 margin, the Senate voted to require schools to provide at least 30 minutes of recess each day for students in grades one through six. That is on top of the minimum 20 minutes youngster now get for lunch.

 The move came over the objections of some school officials who insisted there already isn’t enough time in a day to teach kids what they need and add a mandatory recess period on top of that.

 Sen. Tom O’Halleran, R-Sedona, said he shares those concerns.

 “Our schools are for academic purposes,’’ he said.

 “While I understand the need for physical education and a period of time out from the school day to relax, our students need to be challenged in this day and age,’’ O’Halleran continued. “I don’t see where this is going to do it.’’

 But Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Mesa, who crafted the proposal, said objections are based on the assumption that education and play time are mutually exclusive.

 “There are some districts that struggle with the concept of letting children be children,’’ he said. “They think they can drill them for 15 more minutes and that’s going to improve their academic scores.’’

 Anderson said there are school districts that manage to work in a full hour of actual physical education, not just the unstructured play time HB 2037 would mandate.

 “They still manage to teach kids how to read and do math as well,’’ he said. And Anderson said he has no sympathy for officials who say they would be trading trade test scores for tetherball.

 “The fact that your particular district can’t get its act together to figure out how to do this is really a problem you  should be researching,’’ he said. “There’s obviously districts that can do this.’’

 Wednesday’s vote sends the measure back to the House which has not considered the proposal.

 Anderson also is the sponsor of separate legislation to bar school districts from dropping existing programs in physica education, music, arts, technical or vocational educatio programs without first conducting a public hearing. HB 2557 which already has been approved by the House, awaits Senate action.