State News

School tackles home-school student policy

| Monday, June 09, 2003

ABERDEEN (AP) — Aberdeen school officials are working out concerns over a new law that lets home-schooled students participate in extracurricular activities.

Gene Brownell, athletic director for Aberdeen public schools, says home-schooled students and public-school students follow different sets of rules in attendance and academics.

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"We are not out to exclude home-schoolers from participating, but there ought to be a balanced playing field," Brownell said.

If a Central student misses 10 consecutive days of school, for example, the student is ineligible for extracurriculars. But Brownell questions whether the same rule can be applied to children who learn at home.

"It's impossible to track something like that with home-schooled students," he said. "So we end up with two different sets of standards."

Brownell said he is not opposed to home-school participation and intends to develop a policy proposal that would overcome the fairness issues.

"It just has to be a level playing field," Brownell said.

Home-school children typically number 55 to 60 in the Aberdeen district, he said.

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