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Can my child play sports on a public school sports team?

Posted on by whpa-webadmin

Legislation passed in the summer of 2015 (Wisconsin Statute 118.133) states, “a school board shall permit a pupil who resides in the school district and is enrolled in a home-based private educational program to participate in interscholastic athletics in the school district on the same basis and to the same extent that it permits pupils enrolled in the school district to participate.”

Each school has its own set of eligibility requirements that must be met by its student athletes.  If homeschooled students choose to play on these teams, they are agreeing to the rules and regulations set by the school and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).

In addition, the law states that, “Upon request, the home-based educational program in which the pupil is enrolled shall provide the school board with a written statement that the pupil meets the school board’s requirements for participation in interscholastic athletics based on age and academic and disciplinary records. No person may provide a false statement under this paragraph. The school board may not question the accuracy or validity of the statement or request additional information.” 

Parents may also be asked to provide additional information such as the results of a sports physical, permission for medical care in an emergency, and other health related information in addition to academic and disciplinary information.

Turning over homeschooling records to their local school district, including disciplinary, academic, and health records, is not something that has been asked of Wisconsin homeschoolers since before 1984.

WHPA strongly opposed this legislation because this sets a precedent of homeschoolers reporting to their local school districts and the possibility that this oversight, initially applied only to homeschoolers wishing to be involved with their public schools, could be applied to all homeschoolers.

WHPA has two sample letters which may be used and tailored to your individual situation:

Sample First Letter for Sports
Sample Second Letter for Sports

WHPA will not assist homeschoolers in complying with regulations demanded by public school districts when a homeschool student wishes to participate in a public school program.

 

View all Wisconsin statutes pertaining to home-based private educational programs.

WHPA provides information about homeschooling in Wisconsin. WHPA does not provide specific legal advice to any specific individuals in the context of any specific matters. It is the responsibility of each homeschool administrator/parent or guardian to read original source material and make decisions on compliance for themselves. When you file the PI-1206 Homeschool Report with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, you take full responsibility for understanding and complying with the laws outlined on that form. WHPA does not endorse or provide curriculum suggestions or specific materials for any particular educational approach.