Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, August 17, 2015
(BEDFORD) - The North Lawrence school board voted Thursday evening against allowing home-schooled students to participate in athletics at Bedford North Lawrence High School.
The Times Mail reports that board member Tracy Bailey made a motion that athletics be opened up to home-schoolers and Scott Gillespie seconded the motion. But the remaining board members -- Larry Arnold, Donnie Branham, Kirsten Collier, Gary Holmes and Beth Ritter -- all voted against it.
There were several concerns, Collier questioned how the school system could guarantee "grade accountability" for home-schooled students.
Holmes said a stipulation that a home-schooled student take a class at Bedford North Lawrence High School would mean the student might be on the campus for only the duration of the class. He also stated if the students choice not to attend BNL then they should be allowed to participate in sporting events.
While others said home-schooled student's families pay local taxes that support the school and should be able to participate in sports.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association, in 2013, passed a statute that gave schools the option of allowing homeschoolers to participate in athletics.
In April, Curriculum Director Mark Vice reported to the board that he contacted 16 school systems and of those 15 that responded, 12 said they didn't allow home-schooled students to participate in athletics.
Bailey reported at a July school board meeting that BNL and Jeffersonville high schools are the only schools in the Hoosier Hills Athletic Conference that do not allow home-schooled students to participate in sports programs.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.