Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities in student's resident district; directs Commissioner of Education to establish guidelines.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning home-schooled students and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A board of education shall permit a home-schooled student to try out for, and participate in, any school-sponsored extracurricular activity including, but not limited to, clubs, musical ensembles, Statewide interscholastic sports programs, and theatrical productions in the student's district of residence in accordance with the same criteria established for students enrolled in the district. A home-schooled student who wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity in the resident district shall:
(1) reside in the district;
(2) meet the eligibility and try out criteria for participation in the activity; and
(3) comply with the guidelines established pursuant to section 2 of this act, and all policies, rules, and regulations of the governing organization of the extracurricular activity.
b. In the event that the extracurricular activity is interscholastic athletics, the home-schooled student shall demonstrate to the board of education that the student did not transfer to a home education program for athletic advantage. A student who withdraws from a public school to enroll in a home education program and who is ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at the time of withdrawal from the public school due to a failure to meet academic, behavioral, or eligibility standards, shall be ineligible to compete in interscholastic athletic competition.
c. If the school-sponsored extracurricular activity requires the completion of a physical examination or medical test as a condition of participation and the school district of residence offers the requisite examination or test to the students enrolled in the school district, the school district shall permit a home-schooled student to access the examination or test and shall publish the dates and times of the examination or test on its website.
d. Any transportation required for participation in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity and provided to a student enrolled in the resident district may be provided to the home-schooled student by the resident district.
2. a. The Commissioner of Education shall develop guidelines to assist school districts in determining whether a home-schooled student is receiving equivalent instruction in a home education program sufficient to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at the resident school district.
b. The guidelines shall be posted at an easily accessible location on the Department of Education's website, and on the website of each board of education.
3. This act shall take effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Education may take any anticipatory action as shall be necessary for implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
The bill also requires school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities in the student's resident district. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Education to establish guidelines concerning the eligibility of home-schooled students to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.
The bill requires school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in any school-sponsored extracurricular activity including, clubs, musical ensembles, Statewide interscholastic sports programs, and theatrical productions in the student's district of residence in accordance with the same criteria established for students enrolled in the district.
Under the bill, a home-schooled student who wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity in the resident district is required to:
(1) reside in the district;
(2) meet the eligibility and try out criteria for participation in the activity; and
(3) comply with the guidelines required to be established under the bill, and all policies, rules, and regulations of the governing organization of the extracurricular activity.
In the event that the extracurricular activity involves participation in interscholastic athletics, the home-schooled student is to demonstrate to the board of education that the student did not transfer to a home education program for athletic advantage.
Under the bill, if the extracurricular activity requires the completion of a physical examination or medical test as a condition of participation and the school district of residence offers the examination or test to the students enrolled in the school district, then the school district is required to allow a home-schooled student to access the examination or test and is publish the dates and times of the examination or test on its website.
Finally, the bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines to assist school districts in determining whether a home-schooled student is receiving equivalent instruction in a home education program sufficient to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at the resident school district. The guidelines are to be posted at an easily accessible location on the Department of Education's website, and on the website of each board of education.