Bills Allowing Home School Kids on Public School Teams And Clubs Gains Traction

submitted by Missouri News Network’s Leor Shomroni.

Missouri senators heard legislation Tuesday to allow home school students to participate in extracurricular activities offered with their local school district.

Senators Jill Carter of Jasper County and Ben Brown of Franklin County introduced bills 230 and 411.

The bills would bar school districts from prohibiting home school students from trying out for team sports or other school clubs. The legislation also prohibits schools from being part of any statewide activities association that doesn’t allow home school students to participate.

Multiple current home school students spoke in support of the bill, sharing details about their personal hobbies and how they and others like them would benefit from the legislation. There were no witnesses in opposition.

In informational testimony, Kyna Iman with the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education brought up language regarding co-curricular classes for some activities to be added to SB 411, of which she said she worked on with Sen. Brown.