Senate passes bill to open public school activities to home-schoolers
A bill to let home-schooled students participate in public school sports and other activities passed the Kansas Senate on Thursday.
Senate Bill 60, which passed 30-9, would allow any student who is a resident of a school district to participate in activities offered by the district, regardless of whether they attend a public school full time.
Opponents of the measure, including the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the state’s governing body for high school sports, say the change could dramatically alter the landscape of high school athletics. They worry about the financial impact to school districts because the bulk of a district’s funding is tied to enrollment numbers.
Supporters say opening high school activities to home-schooled kids is fair because home-school families pay taxes that finance public schools.
The bill would require that home-schooled students pay the same fees as other students and submit immunization records to participate in sports and other activities. Medical and religious exemptions to immunization – which are available to all students – would remain.
Reach Suzanne Perez Tobias at 316-268-6567 or stobias@wichitaeagle.com. Follow her on Twitter: @suzannetobias.
How they voted
Here’s how south-central Kansas lawmakers voted on SB 60 to allow home-schooled students to participate in public school activities such as sports. The bill passed 30-9.
Democrats voting yes: Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita
Republicans voting yes: Les Donovan, Michael O’Donnell, Mike Petersen and Susan Wagle, Wichita; Steve Abrams, Arkansas City; Terry Bruce, Hutchinson; Forrest Knox, Altoona; Ty Masterson, Andover
Republicans voting no: Dan Kerschen, Garden Plain; Carolyn McGinn, Sedgwick; Richard Wilborn, McPherson
This story was originally published February 26, 2015 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Senate passes bill to open public school activities to home-schoolers."