Why do you feel public schools should be required to allow home-schooled students to participate in athletics?

Question

It is becoming common for public school districts to be required to allow home-schooled students within their borders to participate in extra-curriculars. I'm curious to see the other side on this one-why should somebody be allowed to remove students from a public school (along with the funding per pupil) and they still feel entitled to participate in athletics and fine arts. Isn't this having your cake and eating it too??

Answer 1

No I don't think so.  Someone wrote yes because they pay taxes, but that should count because EVERYONE has to pay those taxes whether or not they have children, or grown children or not.

Answer 2

Yes, again with the taxes argument.

As for people saying that just because we pay taxes doesn't mean we should have the right, well, you pay public libraries that  a lot of people don't use.

Do you ever go running at the local high school track?

Do you use the public playgrounds? Well, the PUBLIC schools are funded by the government with our tax dollars. If a school has a good sports or music program, and my child wants to and qualifies to participate, then he should be able to.

Answer 3

We still pay the taxes into the public school. By that alone we should be able to receive services we need (such as special needs help) or participate in extracurricular activities.

Aren't you like so many others who think that home schoolers need "socialization." then I wouldn't complain they are getting what so many think is missing in a home schoolers life.

Answer 4

The funding isn't removed.

My parents are paying for two seats in a public school that aren't being used. The kids at my local high school have the advantages of my money.

If I take your money -I call it theft, some people like to call it taxes- and then spend it on a house, is it unreasonable for you to ask to be allowed to stay there? Or should the money only pay for another family to live there, because you already have a home?

If I'm paying for it, I'm allowed to use it.

Besides, you have no idea what kind of h**l you go through to be allowed to not go to a government-run propaganda camp. Constant reporting, heavy restrictions. Then there's getting picked up by the cops for truancy when you're on your way to a class, and those idiots say things like, "So why are you outside?" Or, "Oh yeah, well where *is* home school, then, smartass?"

Fortunately, the State, with its unending mercy, has seen fit to allow me to live my life with only half of my money and the majority -but not all- of my freedoms removed or abridged.

Answer 5

My personal opinion is that I would not want my children to participate in public school extracurricular activities. We have large home school groups around that have inter varsity sports leagues, bands, choirs etc so we don't need it.  In NJ we have no right to participate, but in PA homeschoolers do. However the cost is the large amount of red tape involved in homeschooling in PA.

I think you may not realize what the schools GAIN from having homeschoolers participate. Often if they have the students for just  a single class they can get funding for that in their headcount.  Why do you think public schools have certain days where they want 100% attendance? Because those are the days the headcounts are taken which count for funding!!!

Again, with regards to the money, the taxpayers still pay big money for the cost of education, regardless of whether they have kids in school. Why should THOSE people be denied use of a very expensive building in off hours and the summer?  

I pay $12,000 a year in property taxes, 90% of that goes to the school district and I get absolutely no value for it.

Don't misunderstand me - I don't want public money for homeschoolers, but it is a fact that we pay towards something get nothing for it and I see what they do with the money- they are far from frugal with it, as I have to be.

Edited to add: I do not believe ANY of these sports/extracurricular should be in the public schools. Parents pay plenty for dance, little league etc. when the kids are smaller. I feel it should continue to be that way - open to all, funded by families who want to participate.  It would save the taxpayers a lot of money!!

Answer 6

My children are homeschooled, and our state does not (as of yet) allow homeschooled students to participate in any academic or extra curricular school activities.  Even if my children could participate, I am not sure we would but I do think we are entitled to have that option.

Why?  Because not only does my tax dollars still fund those schools, but the way the funding works in my state, the local school still gets HALF of the funding they would get if my children did attend, even though they do not even know my children's names.  

Our reporting association has to let each district know how many children they have registered as homeschoolers in that district and their grade level.  The state then gives the school that those children would attend half of the funding they get for the children that do attend.  Yet, in my state the school does not oversee us in any way, does not provide any material for us, etc.  

As I said, I do not know if we would even participate if we could, but certainly if they are getting money for MY CHILDREN then they should provide us with something, or atleast the option of it.  I am happy without the option, but save us all some tax dollars and do not allot money to the schools for children that do not even attend or even have the option of using its services!

Answer 7

Well for one thing, our parents still pay taxes. In some states, we also still have to jump throught he public school's hoops in order to be allowed to homeschool.

Answer 8

I do not believe in homeschooling but I do believe they should be allowed to participate for the same reasons that Thomas Jefferson had for wanting religious schools put on public school grounds.He believed by allowing those kids the oportunity to use the public school library and grounds it would help to end the prejudice and intolerance that some religious people hold. While history states that Thomas Jefferson thought any parent who would homeschool their child is stupid he also thought that it was within their rights to do so.

Answer 9

Because we still pay property taxes to support the public schools.  We pay $2600 to our district that we aren't using.  And we save the state money, b/c they don't have to pitch in the extra $8K to our district.

However, I have no need for this.  My HS'ed son participates in community sports and HS'ing classes for PE.

Our district does allow HS'ed students to take driver's ed (for a fee), foreign languages, band, choir, etc.

In most states, it's an issue more with the state high school athletic commission than it is with individual schools.

Answer 10

Because I pay property taxes to send other people's kids to school, plus I also buy my own children's educational materials.  I want some return on my tax money that I pay every year.  

Example, last year the school portion of my property tax was over $800, that is JUST the portion that goes to the school.  If I had the $800 back, I could easily afford to pay for my child to participate in private sporting leagues, or take private music lessons, dance classes, etc. However, I don't get that money back.  I am not asking for any special treatment, just to be given the same rights as anyone else who lives in the district and pays taxes to support the schools.  

And the schools usually do get a reimbursement for students who participate in activities.  At least in my state, we fill out forms declaring the student to be a part time student, even if all they are doing is attending after school activities.  The school gets tax money for the part time students, not as much as for a full time student, but then they don't have to provide the same amount of services for a part time one either.

Ooops, I just double checked and I was wrong about the amount of taxes, the $800 was from the 1/2 year tax because we pay in two installments.  That means the school gets about twice that amount of my money.

Glurpy, if they called it a PUBLIC copier I would assume it was for Public use.  And as far as top secret buildings, those are off limits to everyone EXCEPT a select few, not open to everyone except a select few.  I think I have a right to use the school as much or as little as I wish, so does everyone who lives in the district limits... that includes private school students in my opinion.  I do believe the schools should receive a portion of tax money for it... after all we pay it!

Answer 11

Besides the fact that we still pay taxes for the academics we don't use, home schooling is a wonderful choice. Why should you be punished for it? I want every student to have their cake and eat it, too. If we all personalized our education, imagine the future generation we would have, rather than cookie cutter schools where everyone does the same thing. As each child is different, they have a right to make their education different.

Answer 12

We home-school and really don't care whether or not our daughter is able to participate in public school activities, as we have a wonderful home-school group that provides sports activities and a co-op for upper-level classes. I do support the idea that home-schoolers should have the opportunity to participate in these, however.

It's funny to me that some schools, which should support education and activities for ALL children, should be so persnickety about this. It's almost like the schools' opinion is "Well, if you don't want to come to US for your academic education then you can't come for enrichment or sports, either. Nah! Nah! Nah!" I really think the public schools are threatened by home-schooling families.

As far as getting your cake and eating it, too goes....consider the school districts that we pay taxes into. They still get their money (or a percentage thereof) and yet they have at least one less pupil to provide a desk, teacher, books, transportation and other materials for.  If all the children in private schools and home-schools suddenly returned to the public school system, the system would be in more chaos that it is today. I guess it's too much to ask the schools that they be grateful to us for taking some of the burden off them.

Answer 13

As a homeschooling parent, I DON'T feel public schools should be required to allow homeschooled students to participate in any school activities, anymore than I feel private schools should be required to allow non-attending students to participate in their extra-curricular activities. There is no logic to it, imho. People say, "Well, we pay the taxes still," but so do people who don't have kids. Should they be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities?

I see the extracurricular activities as being a part of the SCHOOL, and if your child is not at that school for whatever reason (private schooled, attends another public school or is homeschooled), you should have no expectation that they allow your child to participate in their activities.

ADDED: I truly don't understand this thing about "taxpayer money" meaning that you are entitled to have as you wish with services that are paid by it. Taxpayer money pays for the photocopier and other stuff at city hall--should you be allowed to go use their photocopiers when you wish? Taxpayer money pays for government official jets, cellphones and laptops--do you get to use those, too? Taxpayer money pays for buildings and areas which are top secret--should the public have access to all that? Should schools all be required to provide homeschoolers with textbooks and other resources that taxpayer money pays for, items purchased for the use of the students actually attending the school? How is it any different?

Answer 14

How 'bout because my tax dollars still go to those public schools. They exist for me-the public. Just because I do not need them for academics does not mean I might not need them for other activities. You are seeing this as an us and them issue, when there is no them. As citizens and taxpayers, government agencies exist for us, not the other way around.

Answer 15

Well, we still pay taxes. There is no exemption for a family that homeschools. None. That "funding per pupil" you're talking about is something that homeschool parents pay in taxes just like any one else (even if the school doesn't get it, we still pay taxes), so it seems fair that our kids should get to participate-and yes, I think the school should get SOME kind of compensation financially from the taxes we pay-obviously not as much as they would get for a full time student, but some financial compensation seems fair.

Answer 16

They probably already have the right.

The reason they do, is that their parents pay taxes for the schools.

A second reason is that the schools and all of their programs exist for ALL children of school age.  

My daughter was the very first to participate in something she wanted to do here.

Answer 17

Financially it is the fair thing to do.  I pay property taxes and have for thirty years.  Yet my children have never had anything to do with the public schools here. So, financially, I paid for other children to do things with the school sports.

That said, I would never send my kids to a public school to play in sports anyway.  We always kept involved with homeschool coops, sports programs, private programs, etc to give our kids an outlet for their interests.

I think putting kids in ps programs would be detrimental to them as homeschoolers. Just my opinion.

Answer 18

As those above said:

1) We still pay property taxes

2) We still (even the least regulated states) have to follow some government imposed regulations.

"Isn't this having your cake and eating it too?"

Even if it is having your cake and eating it too, if it is in the best interest of a student to participate in a PS activity, you would deny such a benefit?  Why?  Punishment for pursuing an alternative education? Meanness? Saving money?

What is the motivation for allowing or not allowing participation?  The only motivation for not allowing that I can imagine is playing politics with the lives of kids.

I'll repeat - we still pay the taxes and still have government regulation (some more than others).  We pay the same amount as anyone else for the cake but most of us don't eat any of it.

It is not having one's cake and eating it too.

By the way, we were invited to continue participating in the gifted program at PS after starting HS.  We declined - we prefer our own cake.

This is an issue that is not of personal importance to me but I can see how it might be important to some.

***UPDATE: Below someone says that Thomas Jefferson thought that the decision by parents to homeschool was "stupid" but did not give any sources.

Here is Thomas Jefferson quote that contradict such a notion with source provided...

"To read the Latin and Greek authors in their original is a sublime luxury ... I thank on my knees him [Jefferson's father] who directed my early education for having put into my possession this rich source of delight."

—Thomas Jefferson, 1800 (note the homeschooling by father)

Answer 19

The schools get money taken away from them when kids start homeschooling. Teachers get reduced pay and the districts budgets get cut.

The school board gets mad because, why should they let students who don't even go to their school be on their teams. I agree and don't agree. It would be good to let a student be on an actual school team, but what about when the team gets a letter for their lettermans jacket. The student doesn't go to the school, so why should he get a letter.  

There are recreation teams that the student could play also. Recreation teams go to tournaments and the series and things. It's really not that big of a difference.