HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS COULD PLAY FOR CHS TEAMS

Among the items on tonight's Board of Education agenda is a proposed change to the district athletic policy that would allow home-schooled students to participate in team athletics at Columbia High School.

The portion of the proposed policy change is below in green.

Home schooled children shall be are not eligible to participate in the high school interscholastic athletic programs, provided that they comply with all N.J.S.I.A.A. policies and guidelines, as well as all  of this dDistrict requirements, including but not limited to residence, academic, physical examination, insurance, age, and other requirements for participation as required of all students at the high school.  The homeschooled student must adhere to the same standards of behavior, responsibilities, sportsmanship, and performance as other members of the team..Any student who withdraws from a public school program to enroll in a homeschool program, and who is ineligible for athletic competition at the time of the withdrawal from the public school program due to his/her failure to meet academic, behavioral or other eligibility standards, shall be ineligible to compete in interscholastic athletic competition. The Superintendent is directed to establish procedures, to take effect for the 20152016 winter sports season, for home schooled children’s participation in interscholastic athletics, in accord with this policy.

We reached out to Board President Wayne Eastman to ask why the change is being considered and he referred us to Board Member Jeffrey Eastman, who has been researchig the issue for the board.

Bennett said via email:

"This was brought up because a number of board members disagreed with the exclusion policy and felt that homeschoolers should be able to participate in high school sports as long as they abide by the same eligibility requirements that public school students abide by.

The policy change will not affect non-athletic extracurriculars, anything at the middle schools, or allow homeschoolers to take classes a la carte."

Asked how many home schoolers are in Maplewood and South Orange, Bennett said the district does not keep tabs on the number because state law does not require it.

He also added:

"Right now the Board is only considering allowing homeschoolers to participate in sports at CHS. The vote on homeschooler inclusion would not take place until April, so it's a little early to officially say that this is taking place, although it's certainly possible.  

Reasonable people can disagree on homeschoolers being allowed to play sports with public high school teams.  

The school of thought against letting homeschoolers play is that public school sports are for public school students only.  They add that if there is a team with cuts and a homeschooler child makes the cut and a public school child does not, then the high school has done wrong by the public school student who is supposed to be its priority.  Some would say that high school sports are extremely important for building school spirit and inspiring certain students to perform better in school so that they can maintain athletic eligibility.  

Finally, people who are against homeschoolers playing sports would say that inclusion is impractical because determining academic eligibility is very difficult and that homeschoolers would have an unfair advantage over public school students because they have more free time and can use that time for extra practice.  

The school of thought in favor of letting homeschoolers play is that homeschoolers are members of the community and that a school district should let them enjoy the benefits of athletic competition.  Homeschool families are taxpayers who should be entitled to something for their taxes.  

Unlike private school students, homeschoolers receive absolutely no money from the public, so if they wish to participate in high school sports it is a fair request.  Proponents of inclusion would say that it is beneficial for homeschoolers and regular public school students to get to know each other. 

Proponents would say that there is no inherent reason to make school participation an all-or-nothing decision and that families should be allowed the freedom to homeschool while participating in sports teams that their taxes contribute to.  Proponents would say that determining academic eligibility is not so difficult and point out that virtually all American colleges will accept homeschoolers, despite their often having atypical transcripts." 

In 2011, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association updated its policy to allow home-schooled students to compete, but left it up to individual districts.