Bill to let home-schoolers in public school sports advances

ATLANTA (AP) — The group that oversees high school athletics and activities in Georgia is endorsing a plan allowing home-schooled athletes play on their local public school team.

“It’s time for us to move in this direction,” Georgia High School Association Executive Director Robin Hines told the Senate Education and Youth Committee on Wednesday. "I believe that’s where we are; I believe that’s where our association is heading. At our core we are about providing opportunities for young people.”

The committee voted 7-2 for Senate Bill 51 on Wednesday, sending it to the Senate for more debate. The bill lets students in grades 6-12 take part in sports or other extracurricular activities such as band, drama or school clubs when they take at least one online course facilitated by the local public school system.

“This is not just a sports bill," said Cole Muzio, executive director of the Family Policy Alliance of Georgia. “This is a bill to end discrimination in our state against home school students and allow them to participate in all extracurricular activity only available at their public school.”

Hines said GHSA still has some concerns, such as making sure local school boards maintain their autonomy in deciding how students participate. But his endorsement could aid a proposal that has been gathering support in recent years, after multiple futile attempts.

Hines said that with so many traditional public school students taking virtual classes because of the pandemic “it’s not a far leap from the way things are happening now.”

More than 25 states allow home-schooled students to participate in sports and activities. Such laws are typically called Tim Tebow bills, named for the University of Florida football star who was a home-schooler when he made his mark playing football for a public high...