Utah bill would create uniform rules on home schooler participation in public school extracurriculars
A Utah state legislator has introduced a bill that would create uniform rules governing home schoolers' eligibility to participate in public school extracurricular activities. In Utah the decision whether home-schooled students can participate in interscholastic athletics at their local high school is left to the local school district. In some districts few questions are asked, while other districts require students to be enrolled in at least four classes, even though that requirement has been abolished by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA). While Senator Mark Madsen's bill would make it easier for home schoolers to participate, some observers believe it would create other problems. The bill would allow a home-schooled student to participate in a public school's extracurricular activities if the school's residency requirements are met and the student's parents file a signed statement ensuring the student will attend home school. The current policy of UHSAA and the Utah State Board of Education (UBOE) does not tie participation to attendance at a public school but does state that home-schooled students should show academic progress consistent with expectations for public school students. The policy leaves it to individual school districts to decide how such judgments are made. The proposed legislation would strip the UBOE of the authority to set any academic standards for participation in interscholastic athletics. According to Senator Madsen, home schooling is a "parent-directed process" that allows them to set their "own standards." Senator Karen Hale opposes the bill because she believes it is unfair to public school students, who must present audited attendance records and meet specific grade standards to participate. She also warns that parents could use the proposal as a loophole, taking athletes with failing grades out of school to preserve their eligibility for sports teams. However, home-schooling parents insist that they are responsible and are not trying skirt the academic eligibility rules.
Salt Lake TribuneBy Celia R. Baker
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