By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Senate Bill 113, signed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly this past May, will now clearly allow nonpublic students to participate in Kansas State High School Activities Association sponsored events, such as sports. Any homeschooled student that resides within a school district can join the district’s sports teams or activities.
USD 431 Hoisington Superintendent Patrick Crowdis said homeschooled students still must meet the district’s academic eligibility
requirements, but there are some loopholes that the district is trying to
figure out.
"Let's say the student is in our classes right now, going to school fulltime," said Crowdis. "A star football player is ineligible. What happens if they all of sudden start the 'Patrick Crowdis homeschool'? That student goes to that homeschool. Now, because they reside in our district, they should be able to participate in our activities."
Along with being academically eligible, the homeschooled student must have
proper physicals paperwork, concussion form, immunization record and
participation fees if applicable.
Hoisington Activities Director Faron Kraft said
SB 113 took away some of the requirements or policies in place from schools
across the state, like having to be in the district building for so long.
"Some students now may take two classes in the morning and then go to a vo-tech in the afternoon," said Kraft. "Or they take a couple of classes here and go to Barton Community College, and then come back to play sports. If a school has a policy that a student has to be enrolled in at least two classes in your building, could you require a homeschooled student to take two classes in your building to play sports?"
Kraft plans on attending an activities director meeting this month, hosted by
KSHSAA, to clear up the grey areas and get more answers on this SB 113
provision.