The Virginia School Boards Association is spearheading a discussion group on “homeschoolers participation in VHSL activities” and will address the issues and concerns surrounding the question of whether or not home schooled students should be allowed to participate in high school sports and other VHSL activities. Since 2002, the General Assembly has reviewed legislation that would mandate such participation and has rejected all bills that have been introduced to date – albeit with an admonition to public school educators, the VHSL, education associations and homeschool advocates that they continue meaningful dialogue on the issue. VASSP has consistently argued against legislation mandating homeschoolers’ participation in VHSL activities, maintaining that it is imperative that all students be held accountable to the same academic and discipline rules and requirements in order for there to be a level playing field.
The task force membership includes: VSBA president, VASSP president, executive director and the director of governmental relations, VASS executive director, VHSL executive director and representative board members, PTA president and legislative chair, Virginia Homeschool Association president and director of government relations.
Joan Wodiska, current VSBA president, facilitated the first meeting and announced at the outset that she believed that every child “deserves access to organized sports in Virginia” and that it was her goal at the conclusion of the four planned meetings of the task force that the group would ultimately support participation of non-public school students in sports activities in public schools. That remark, and others, drew sharp responses from VASSP, VASS, PTA and VHSL, whose representatives (including VASSP President Keith Perrigan and Director of Government Relations Bet Neale) made it clear that they could not sanction such a goal, pointing out that the members they represented had serious reservations about allowing non-public school students to participate in public school activities sponsored by and under the auspices of the VHSL. Dr. Perrigan said that all must be held to the same standards and that participation in extra-curricular activities is a privilege, not a right. President Keith went on to say that although home schooled and private/parochial school students have to meet certain educational expectations, those expectations are different than those that are expected of public school students. He continued by saying that for non-public school students to receive the same privileges as public school students, while having different expectations, was unfair.
At its next meeting in August, task force members will continue to discuss issues surrounding the topic of participation of non-public school students in public school extracurricular activities, including VHSL eligibility rules, the League’s appeals process, insurance, codes of conduct and the role of the superintendent in approving homeschool programs of study. Amy Wilson, representing homeschoolers, and Tom Horn, representing the VHSL, agreed to serve as co-chairs of the task force. Added to the task force will be representatives from Virginia’s independent schools and the VHSL student advisory committee. A tentative date of August 21 has been set for the next meeting to be held in Charlottesville.
