The Wabash Community Unit School District #348 Board heard from residents Tuesday night asking the board to allow homeschool students to participate in district extracurricular activities.

Parents, students, and community members addressed the board during an extended public comment session focused on the district’s current policy, which prohibits non-public school students, including homeschoolers, from taking part in extracurricular and interscholastic activities.

Eli Musgrave, a homeschool student in the district, urged board members to revisit the policy. Musgrave told the board his family chose homeschooling for religious reasons but emphasized that homeschool students meet rigorous academic standards and would be willing to comply with eligibility requirements.

Other speakers echoed that request, saying homeschool families remain active, taxpaying members of the community and should have access to extracurricular opportunities. Several residents argued that participation could be structured with accountability measures and would involve only a small number of students.

Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer said the issue centers on existing Board Policy 7:40, which explicitly bars non-public students from extracurricular activities. Bleyer explained that any change would require a review of approximately 20 board policies, along with consideration of federal and state mandates, collective bargaining agreements, and consultation with the district’s attorney.

Board members expressed a range of views. Some voiced concerns about how academic eligibility would be monitored, noting that Illinois does not regulate homeschool curriculum, which could place responsibility for credit approval and oversight on the district. Others said they would like to see further discussion and research before making any changes.

Late in the meeting, board member Jessica Peter formally requested that the board place a review of the homeschool policy on next month’s agenda. After discussion, Peter made a motion to create a committee to review a potential amendment to the district’s homeschool policy.

The motion received a second, but failed on a roll call vote. Peter and Susan Wood voted in favor. Janet Alka, Theresa Hocking, Kyle Peach, Gregg Wilcox, and Board President Jamie McCorkle voted no.

No changes were made to the district’s homeschool participation policy Tuesday night.

Here are transcripts from speakers at Monday’s meeting:

My name is Eli Musgrave, and I am a homeschooler in District #348. First of all, I would thank-- would like to thank each and every one of the board members and the superintendent for all you do in this community. Second of all, I would like to address the policy of homeschoolers not being allowed to participate in extracurricular activities in District #348. My family chose to home, homeschool on relig-- on, on religious conviction, and I'm sure this is true for many homeschooled families in this district, district. It is of question whether homeschoolers are getting a proper education. I'm here to say yes. I have sat with Dickens, seen works of Monet firsthand, learned about war from Winston Churchill himself, and am taking honors algebra and geometry, all while realizing that God is the maker of all things and is intertwined in all education. There has been expressed concern that homeschoolers get to sleep in and start school late. However, this is not the case in my household or any of the peers around me. I'm up early, starting school every day, some days well before eight. Additionally, when public school students had snow days, I was still getting up early and doing school. Even last night, I had to stay up late after play practice to submit a writing assignment at ten thirty PM, and was up at seven today. With the IHSA policy, homeschoolers must submit their curriculum and their grades. We are not asking to be left unmonitored while playing Golden Aces sports. We are asking to be held accountable. I have been playing football and baseball since I was five years old. It is not just Mount Carmel High School who are the Aces. It is ing-ingrained in our community as a whole. I was able to don maroon and gold as an Ace and play on the Mount Carmel Little League All-Star team as an Ace. Also, for the past four years, I've been able to play Junior Aces football, and the most recent year, I was elected one of the five captains and helped lead my team to the first JFL championship they've ever had. I earned this position by hard work, determination, and leadership. According to the IHSA website, the opportunity for boys and girls to represent their school and community as they participate in interscholastic activities offers significant lifetime learning experiences that cannot be duplicated. The Illinois State School Board and IHSA both see a value in homeschoolers participating in extracurricular activities because they've already written a policy allowing part-time enrollment and participation in sports and other activities, and they have given you as, as, as a school board, the opportunity to embrace this policy. As a board, are you willing to vote yes and allow me to continue being a Mount Carmel Golden Ace, or will you vote no and create a stumbling block for significant lifetime learning experiences? You-- for me and other students in this community. You, as a board, were elected by this community to represent this community. Are you willing to look at the interests of the whole community and not just the public school students? [clapping]

Tracy Gill: I was... I had this in my back pocket because I really was trying to decide whether or not, um, God was leading me to say anything, uh, but I feel like He is. So first of all, good evening to the members of the board and to superintendent. Um, thank you for the opportunity to speak and to the people that come and speak as well. I sent a letter to all of you a couple of weeks ago. So I sent a, a letter a couple weeks ago, and then after that, having seen lots of comments on Facebook, um, just I've kind of been thinking on that and, and the issues that have come up and the concerns voiced by many people, um, on social media. Because this public comment section precedes the superintendent's comments, um, you know, I might be speaking a little bit uninformed, so I apologize if I am. I recognize that there are strong feelings surrounding this issue, as evidenced by, uh, the number in attendance and the response on social media the last couple of weeks. I would just like to remind all of-...or, um, a lot of names on a petition, or a lot of letters and a lot of emails sent, that doesn't necessarily-- It may create the appearance of a broad consensus, but really, it's a few voices. So there's a lot of families that don't feel compelled to speak out publicly. Um, they don't like to cause division. I don't like to cause division. Um, a few years ago, my husband and I came to the board with the same request, um, and we had people asking if we were gonna continue to fight, and I said, "No," because I didn't wanna create division in our community. There's enough division without that. So, um, I hope you hear my heart when I say all these things. Um, it's been said, and many of you expressed it much better than I'm about to, that families who choose to homeschool, um, have an advantage because they're not seated in a traditional classroom for those six to eight hours a day. And, um, in reality, homeschool students, most of the time, follow very strict structured schedules. Um, many of them also work on family farms and businesses, part-time employment. Um, I can attest that my kids were up before, um, the sunrise, um, a lot of days going to work, um, and kind of experiencing, um, things that have set them apart today and, and things that they're doing. The days are also oft- often full and demanding, just like the student would attend in person in District #348. They're simply organized differently. Education setting does not automatically translate to reduced workload or competitive advantage. It's also been said that families who chose to homeschool knew that extracurriculars would not be an option, and that's true. We do know that. However, acknowledging what has been done doesn't necessarily determine what should be and to be. The existence of a rule by itself does not resolve whether it remains the most equitable approach to the students in our community. It may also be helpful to keep scale in perspective. The homeschool and private school community is relatively small. It's when you consider the district as a whole, and those students that would be, uh, interested in participating in extracurriculars makes it even smaller. So I think by the time you spread that out over several grades, you're gonna find that it's not gonna overwhelm the system. It's not gonna displace programs in place. Um, I think in keeping that, just that perspective and the, the number in mind is helpful. Um, other areas of community life, I was just kinda trying to think of some analogies. Um, we don't see that, um, there's a lot of exclusion in things that have to do with taxpayer dollars overall, right? If I choose to live in the country, I don't have access to be able to check out materials in the library, but there's a path for me to be able to do that. I can get a library card, right? I have to pay for it, but I can get one. Um, if I am someone who uses holistic medicine, and I don't really use Wabash General a lot, if I break my arm or if I need physical therapy, I'm not denied access into that system. So I just-- Just kind of an analogy as we kinda look at other taxing bodies within the district. At its heart, this question is not about gaining something without contributing. Homeschool families remain members of this community. They live within district boundaries, contribute as taxpayers, and support local programs and businesses. They also attend games, plays, and support district fundraisers. I can tell you, a few years ago, my husband and I, um, we, uh, bought six softball cards [chuckles] because we love those girls that played with my daughter. So we're all part of that. We're not choosing to disengage from the community as a whole. We've just chosen a different path for education. As a parent, I recall some strong reactions from my own children when something unfamiliar was introduced. Often, that reaction would stem from limited information or an understandable concern about change. When we would take the time to listen and explain, understanding would grow, even if enthusiasm took longer. I share that only to suggest that initial discomfort does not always mean that an idea lacks merit. Sometimes it simply reflects what is new and different. I would also respectfully suggest that decisions to homeschool or pri-- pursue private education are rarely made as statements against a district or its educators. For families, these choices are deeply personal and shaped by circumstances unique to their children, whether that involves scheduling realities that don't align with a traditional school day, specific learning needs, past experience with bullying, health considerations, or religious considerations. The reasons are complex and thoughtful. In many cases, families continue to hold great respect for the district and for the staff, while simply determining that a different educational structure better fits their child at this particular moment. I hope those decisions can be understood in that way, as individual choices made in good faith and not as a criticism or rejection of our public schools. In closing, I just respectfully ask that you consider whether a clear, accountable framework could allow participation while maintaining standards for integrity, eligibility, conduct, performance, inclusion, and high expectations. These are not in conflict. In many cases, they strengthen one another. Thanks for your time. [applauding]

My name is Heath Reed, and I support, uh, allowing homeschoolers to participate, uh, in sports. Um, I know there's a lot of pressure on the board to make the right decision, and, uh, it's not easy when you have a growing number of people who are watching-... homeschool, private school, public school, uh, and we just do what's best for our family. Um, I don't see any of the negatives, uh, that could come from allowing homeschoolers to participate, but the benefits, uh, to the school, the benefits to homeschoolers and the community. I just think it's, it's worthy of being thought. Thank you. [audience clapping]

Ravyn Drone: Hello, members of the board, to all concerned parties and opponents, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I wanna begin by being clear that I'm in favor of and support homeschoolers' participation, and believe wholeheartedly that the facts, IHSA guidelines, and evolving state regulations would clearly sustain the board's approval. I say this from the perspective of a local mom and a community member, but also as a former local student-athlete who went on to obtain a Division One athletic scholarship and play four years. Perhaps most importantly, I say this as a former public school teacher, who fought and worked tire-tirelessly for her students' educational rights in the district of Champaign Unit Four, as well as this very district. I am married to a public school teacher, I am the daughter of two lifelong public school teachers, and I speak to you today as someone who wants nothing less than the very best for the students of Wabash #348. The core question in all this is simple: If we can offer more opportunities to more children in our community, should we? However, I'm gonna address some oppositional points I've seen floating around, because while I believe the core to be simple, some would make this request out to be confusing and more complex than it needs to be. Public school is being misunderstood by many as a strictly opt-out, opt-in, exclusive program, where in fact, public education is a free public service available to all until high school completion or the age of twenty-one. The local community in which a homeschool student resides is still required to provide them with special services as needed, including, but not limited to, special ed services, occupational therapy, speech, or classes like driver's education, according to the LIS school code. Homeschool students are also able to sign up for partial enrollment, pending they meet a few requirements, example, transcript. Uh, furthermore, if a class that a homeschool student takes requires extracurricular involvement, such as band, then that student must be allowed to participate in the co-curricular as well. This demonstrates that the foundation of public education is that it is meant to be as accessible to a child as they need it to be, in order for them to have their developmental needs met. It shows us plainly that it does not have to be a take it or leave it service. In fact, it is very commonly not, and law is increasingly evolving, evolving to ensure opportunities to homeschool students. These policies also speak to a core principle, that a healthy society prioritizes the production of fully developed children into adults, and a community values public and free opportunities for all children within said community. As to the financial logistics, my understanding is that adopting this policy would really only be fiscally beneficial for our district. The question of whether free or almost free access to extracurriculars should be offered to all children with our community-- within our community, is allowed and regulated by the IHSA. More and more districts are adopting the policy, including schools we compete against. Many have been implementing this policy for years. Homeschool students would have to try out and maintain grades, show sportsmanship, etc. So while this is really only a small group, in reality, they only stand to make our sports teams better and more competitive. It could even potentially incentivize hypothetical families in the future to move here, which isn't that the goal for our town, to provide incentives for people to want to live here? In the face of all the facts, the question is again simple: If we can offer more opportunities to children in our community, should we? As much as I wish the decision was only being made based on facts, because truly, I think the facts speak for themselves, this request has clearly become about more than that for many people. It has become about morality and exposed what I see to be a tender spot for the community. So let-- allow me to expand on this issue morally as well. Based on my experiences as a public school teacher and how I was trained to look at the service I provided for students, my goal was always what is best for kids. Full stop. My job was to give every student the best experience, equal opportunity, and as much access as I could possibly give, even if they skipped my class, or cussed me out, or continually pulled their phone out during a presentation that took me an entire weekend to create. My goal was to win them over, for a class, for a unit, even just for a project, it was always about them, not me or my ego. Gatekeeping only the specific developmental opportunity of extracurriculars to a child who's willing to enroll, abide by IHSA regulations and applicable, applicable school standards, first, goes against the principles set out for almost all other academic opportunities. Homeschool students are able to enroll partially or get other services they cannot get at all. Second, does not align with my values or the values I believe public school claims to be built on. The priority of public education should be equal access to as many developmental opportunities-... third, does not serve all students best, including public school athletes who are currently learning from us on sportsmanship and moral standards. We should be setting an example to our student-athletes about teamwork, inclusion, and grit. Refusing this request for our local-- of our local homeschool students does the exact opposite. As public school teachers, we operate in the understanding that equivalent doesn't need to mean the same. In fact, we agree that focusing too much on sameness creates inequities. Consider that at one point, there were no five oh fours and IEPs for students, but special education was developed entirely as we began to understand it was our responsibility to provide individuali- individualized pathways for each student to reach the end goal of well-rounded development. The IHSA has laid out the proper ways in which we can have equivalent standards that are not based in opinion, but are based in equal merit and value set by an unbiased governing body. I have seen those opposed to this request disagree, disagree from an opinion that homeschool students and families have elected to sacrifice their participation in sports for their choice. I would remind the board that we are talking about minors who don't choose, and that there are many reasons for homeschooling. However, more importantly, this is again, not based in truth, as the IHSA does not require the sacrifice of homeschool students. We are required to sacrifice for them. Our community is required to sacrifice. The Illinois School Code does not draw this dividing line. We are choosing to. Policy allows us to choose the kind of community we want to be. So my question is why? Why is it important to anyone that this one offering of public education, extracurriculars, should be denied to a homeschool student when almost all other offerings are available to them to access, knowing the IHSA says it's fine? Is this revealing of a healthy or unhealthy view of high school sports in our community? Further, I would question if applying the kind of surveillant attitude that someone would perhaps place on competitor teams to potential teammates is the kind of moral standard for sportsmanship we want to be teaching our student-athletes. Do we want to be a community that accepts the falsehood that one child's gain is my child's loss? Do we want to be the kind of school system where we stand behind pride and offense as an excuse to make a decision about children, all about the adults? If we can offer more opportunities to more children in our community, shouldn't we? In regard to the proposed grading conveniences and potential chaos of adopting the IHSA guidelines, my personal experience teaching homeschool kids, partially enrolled students who's busted from other schools, et cetera, and discussions with other educators and parents who work or live in districts that allow this, tells me that they are predominantly imagining this as other. I encourage board members to not just take my opinion and instead reach out to teachers and admin from other districts who have adopted this policy and ask how it's going. For those claiming to be concerned about the small population of students who are pulled from school and whose parents potentially do a poor job homeschooling, I would point out that providing an incentive like access to extracurriculars could actually get these students back in the door and under your care. I would provide inc-- It would provide incentive for parents to submit grades, allow us to check on their well-being. So if an educator is claiming that they are concerned about well-being or standards, they should want to incentivize partial enrollment for these students. We can drum up hypothetical what-ifs, but in the end, we cannot control what students do with opportunities. We can only give as many opportunities as possible with clear expectations and have reasonable consequences in place. To conclude, while my experience in other districts with homeschool participation contributes to my confidence in supporting this request, I understand it's a new year, and it is okay to have questions. But the answer to questions should be curiosity, discussion, and research, not exclusionary petitions or haste reviews. Public school's purpose at its best is meant to be just that, a public service, avail- available for every child as much as they need. The deeper issue that concerns me here is about the heart. As a public school teacher, never have I heard people or teachers be angry or begrudge a child an opportunity that could be afforded to them. My training drilled into me the principle that I want any and all students in my classroom as much as possible, because what I had to offer them was good, and we should offer as many good things to children as we can. Our society and country is built on moral principle that you hope we all have in common, that all children have value, not just our own kids. I am particularly concerned at the mindset we would be promoting in public school athletes by denying this request, and am truthfully passionate about the kind of community I would want to raise my two children in. In the end, I pray the board's hand will be over the decision when it comes to a vote, and all will be softened and unified in love for one another, no matter the outcome. I trust God knows what's best for our community far better than we do. However, I ask one final time: If we can offer more opportunities to more children in our community, shouldn't we? Thank you.

I am Melanie Linson and I appreciate this opportunity. Um, JC and I have lived in this community our whole life. Our children go to this school, and we have, um... Sports are very dear to his heart. [laughing] He, uh, has volunteered countless hours and years, um, bringing in new athletes from YIA just has poured into these kids, and, uh, I know a lot of people in the community appreciate that. Um, as a public school parent, I have talked to my child about this, and he does not see any competition and nothing that he would be in defiance of this happening. Um, he has been, uh, taking lessons with, um, Xander, here in town, who now has a very good business, who has been a homeschool child, who is now a semi-pro baseball player and is going to be pouring into our district as a baseball coach. So while we are appreciative of that, I feel like our community should know that as well, because a lot of people don't know where he came from and where he's going. Um, he's a great influence, and he is pouring into these boys, giving them free lessons for our high schoolers, which is so appreciative. Um, while Keegan thrives in this type of environment, our youngest struggles. He struggles with the long days. He struggles with the attention. He struggles with things that, um, most, most of the time comes easy for people, but we have put him in the public school, and we are trying to get him, um... basically, we're trying to keep him here. If this doesn't end up working out, we will homeschool him just for the fact that that is what's best for our child. It has nothing to do with the school system, it has nothing to do with the teachers, but it has everything to do with our family, and that's where our heart is with it. We have both graduated from this school, and we do not see any reason why this would not be something that would benefit our community. We have a lot of friends that homeschool their children, that are involved in the same type of things from YIA to junior high, and they have played sports with our kids for years. They integrate well together. There is not any fights. There's not anything that has any reason to keep them from continuing on for the next four years. Is there anything else you would like to add? Thanks, guys. Appreciate the time. [audience clapping]

Dr. Chuck Bleyer: The question of homeschool students. So basically, this centers around Policy Seven Forty, which is non-public school students, including parochial or homeschooled students. Uh, in that policy, uh, that's been here well before I got here, there is a provision, uh, that's called extracurricular activities, including interscholastic competition. Uh, it reads specifically, "Non-public students, regardless of whether they attend a district school part-time, will not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities." That is solid school board policy. This policy actually bleeds into our, uh, it's thematic actually, and it goes into our student handbook, specifically, when it points out under athletic participation based on academic eligibility: "Students at Mount Carmel High School, in order to participate in athletics or extracurricular activities, must have passed twenty-five credit hours of high school work the previous semester, or its equivalent, if not a high school student, and must be passing twenty-five credit hours of high school work per week during each semester of extracurricular or athletic participation." So that's the current semester and previous semester, must pass five of seven classes. Also, attendance at practice and games is outlined in this po-- in this handbook policy. An athlete must attend school for half a day to participate in the game or practice. And number seven, lastly, is scholastic eligibility. "All athletes are expected to maintain passing grades in order to remain eligible. Passing grades is defined as a grade of D or above in any class." By reviewing school board policy, I came across twenty school board policies that would need to be reviewed, uh, thoroughly before anything else could move forward. There's also mandates that are involved-... federal and state mandates that would have to be reviewed. We would also have to be in consideration with the WCTA and the WCEA for their, uh, for how they would like to move forward with this. So we have two unions also, uh, to, uh, consider, and of course, we would have to have our board attorney involved in any kind of, uh, change. So there are many steps involved in, in this whatsoever or in, in this beginning. Um, just personally, I'm a, um, through and through public school. Uh, I don't, I don't shy away from that at all. I'm born and raised-- I actually did go to a private school for eight years when I was, um, at St. Mary's in Herrin, Illinois, but I became a public school student after that, public school teacher. My mom taught public school, my dad taught, taught public school, born and raised, and that's just where I come from. Thank you.

Board member Theresa Hocking: I'm most concerned about the twenty-five-hour credit, um, from... So from what I read, a twenty-five-hour student has to be passing this ISHA, am I right? An ISHA requirement. Okay. So I guess when I read about that, and I read about it, I-- we've all researched this. It's, it's not like we're here tonight and we don't know anything about it. We've, we've all researched it personally. The state of Illinois does not regulate home schools. Is that correct? So it seems to me like the ISHA is putting the burden of regulation on us as a school district, that we have to give twenty-five hour credit towards graduation at our school. So I think the, one of the parts that bothers me is that's, that's going to make us the caretaker of regulating whether you're homeschooled or... I'm, I'm sure most of you have appropriate homeschool learning plans or whatever they're called, but we would have to-- I mean, it makes us be the regulators. The state of Illinois, I feel, is slipping because they do not have regulation. It makes us the, the, um, person that decides what credits are good and what homeschool programs are good, and that puts us at a disadvantage and it, it, it's gonna be a difficult task. It's not as easy as some people think, because that's actual credit that we have to give towards graduation, the way I read it. And I respect homeschool parents. I respect that decision they make. I respect public school people, that that's a decision that you have to make as a family, and no matter which one you pick, there's extra stuff that comes with it, and, um, it's, it's just a really hard and tough... We don't-- We love kids. That's why we're here. That's why I'm on the school board. Actually, not, athletics is why I'm on the school board. I'm on the school board because I want our kids to be educated. I want them to be educated so they can enter different things in the world. The ones that don't have a chance, the ones that don't have the parents that can do certain things, they need our help as public school persons, and that is why I'm on the board. And [clears throat] I understand your dilemma, and I understand that I don't feel like we're leaving anyone out. The option is there to come to school, but it does put us in a position to be the caretaker of these credit hours. Like, who's gonna do it, and what does that actually mean? And that's-- those are my concerns that I came, came up with. And thank you all for coming. I appreciate that you're here showing your support.

Kyle Peach: I did a lot of research, and I read every document that was sent, and I read every email that was sent. For and against, I sadly apologize on behalf of the people in the community who were disrespectful online. Um, that was outrageous, uncalled for, and I apologize to the community. We need to apologize for that. Um, I want to say that I am not, as I think all of us are, are not opposed to your right as parents to decide what's best for your student. Homeschooling is a, is a path, exists, legally exists, uh, and I would say the thing that, that I would go back to is, I want your kids full time in our district. This young man right here, a classic example of someone I want walking the halls and rubbing shoulders with his classmates, because it's gonna be a positive influence on them throughout the school day. Um, I understand the reasons why you wouldn't, um, want to send your kids to the school district. Um, that's your personal choice. Um, I do want to clarify a couple of things.... Several of the emails that I've received from those in support of home school students being allowed in our extracurriculars, quoted an Illinois policy website article, which frankly, is an opinion site. Um, regardless of that, though, um, it said that the district and the state funding it receives would not go down if more students leave to become home school, home schooled, and that is technically true. Under the current guidelines, the amount of funding the district receives does not go down. It can go higher from year to year. However, what they don't say in that article is that if more students enroll full-time in our district, that our funding will go up, um, and that that will never go down from the point in which it goes up. There's also talk about eventual changes to state funding. I'm here to tell you, the people in Chicago are not happy with it. Um, I can't ever imagine a time in which having less enrollment on a full-time basis would be good for us. Talk about economics, um, we get, um, it boils down to be in state funding, about fifty-four hundred dollars per student per year that is enrolled full-time in our district. I imagine what we could do to improve our school system if we have more students enroll on that full-time basis. Um, it is not, as Theresa kind of indicated, something that is just as easy as adopting the IHSA policy. Um, we track eligibility through our online grading system that is checked once a week, to make sure that our students participating in extracurriculars are meeting academic standards. Um, we don't currently have a policy for how that would be tracked. Who is going to track that? What's the time commitment to be, to having that tracked? Those are things that, that, that trouble me with moving forward with, with this. Um, someone indicated in an email, something to the effect of no one has ever asked why they home school their, their children. If there is something we could be doing as a district to make it more enticing to send our-- your, your kids here on a full-time basis, I want to have that conversation. I want to know what those concerns are, because that it is, at the end of the day, what, what I, I think truly matters, um, is I would love to have that dialogue and to, and to get that understanding and to find a way, um, to get your kids, uh, in our schools full-time. I'll close with this and just say, I look across this room, there are many friends of mine, neighbors, even family, who home school their kids. Um, and I do appreciate the candor, the core, the core of the open conversations that have been had. Um, it's a, it's a tough call, but I think that sticking with our policy as is, is, in my opinion, what is the best path forward for our district.

Jessica Peter: So I wrote my, my thoughts down because sometimes it's better brain just sort of... So, um, I've been trying to respond to most emails that I received, um, but I do thank you for coming tonight and sharing your concerns. Um, as a board elected school board member in Wabash County, I took an oath to faithfully discharge my duties in accordance with Illinois law. That oath requires me to respect taxpayer interest by serving as a faithful protector of our district's assets, to foster extensive participation of the community, to formulate goals, set the course for our district, and to serve as an education's key advocate on behalf of students and our entire community schools. Importantly, and to address a common misconception, this means representing the entire community, all taxpayers, all voters, and residents who support our public schools through their taxes. Not just those with children currently enrolled in our district's program. I was not elected by the schools in the district. I was elected by the voters of the entire district. My responsibility is to the broader public interest, including families who choose homeschooling while living in our district and contributing to it. Every decision we make should be guided by what's best for our kids, all of the kids in our district, and for the overall betterment of our community, while recognizing that parental choices in education carry consequences for access to certain opportunities. Before moving on, I want to recognize and express my deep appreciation for our dedicated district staff, teachers, administrators, support personnel, and everyone who works their heart in educating our children every day. Your commitment ex-- to excellence in care of our students is admirable. It strengthens everything we-...Forty of our residents, parents, students, and neighbors respectfully attended our board meeting and asked us to revisit the current policy barring homeschool students from IHSA-approved extracurricular activities. As part of my duty to respond to the, to that community input, I've gathered facts from reliable sources, including conversations with twelve nearby districts, to inform this discussion. First, let's clarify roles. Sorry. [chuckles] Neither current Illinois law nor the Illinois High School Association prohibits homeschool students from joining public school extracurriculars. IHSA bylaws explicitly allow it for homeschoolers who enroll part-time at the member school, take and pass at least one course there each semester, and meet the combined minimum of twenty-five credit hours, typically five classes per semester, with credit granted by our district. All other IHSA eligibility rules apply just as for any student. A key development at the state level, where I spoke with today, Senator Jill Tracy from Brown County, proposed Senate Bill ninety-six. I would encourage you to read that bill, look into it, and contact your senator if you are interested. The bill amends the Illinois School Code to require districts, beginning of the school year, to allow residents, non-public school students, including homeschoolers, to participate in extracurricular athletic activities sponsored by the district without requiring enrollment or coursework at a public school, as long as they meet eligibility conditions such as residency and IHSA rules. This is currently in the State Senate in Illinois and could become law. I don't know if everybody has heard about, um... While the bill remains pending, its introduction and support reflect growing statewide momentum for eq- equitable access for resident families who contribute taxes, but choose non-public education. This underscores why proactive consideration of our policy makes sense right now. Importantly, our district already has homeschool students in our classes. I don't know if everybody understands that either. I believe we had seven this year. Non-public school students-- That could be last year's number, I didn't get clear. Um, non-public school students, including homeschoolers, may, may enroll part-time if space is available, the request is made timely by May first for the next school year, and they reside in the district. No eligible child can be denied access to available classes under these provisions. For all activities like band or theater, if a homeschool student enrolls in the class, related practices or performances are accessible. The neighboring districts report, um, a minimal workload and paperwork. Well, the number is specifically, like, five students. Um, there was a district who had twenty in total enrolled, and for extracurriculars, five students wanted to participate in IHSA programs and activities. So, um, there's not a whole, a, a lot of significant burden there. Um, participating dis- districts have gained student funding from part-time enrollment and, and view-- Actually, they view it as a recruiting opportunity to connect families to our resources. Their experience shows this works well with few issues. Concerns about parents and curriculum or private instructors are addressable under IHSA and state code, which recognizes parents' educational rights. Interest is often in non-athletic activities like theater, band, or scholar bowl, building skills and community without overwhelming our resources. Our current policy excludes resident homeschool families from opportunities their taxes help fund. Amending it to allow part-time enrollment for extracurricular access aligned with IHSA rules, regional examples, and the direction indicated by SB ninety-six would be fair, inclusive, and fiscally neutral or positive. It respects parental choice while strengthening our community and, most importantly, serving the betterment of our kids and the entire district. By keeping an open dialogue with people in our community, like the four residents who spoke up, we set a powerful example for our kids of how adults handle difference, differences respectfully. But keeping this dialogue open would... We're listening actively, working together toward solutions that benefit everyone. This, this model is the kind of civic responsibility and community spirit we want our students to carry forward. To move forward thoughtfully, I propose we request that we review the potential amendment of this policy and the others that Dr. Bleyer mentioned. It be placed on the agenda for next month's board meeting. This will allow us to continue gathering input, perhaps through administration, preparing a summary of options, a committee discussion, or further stake- stakeholder feedback, so we can address the community's concerns productively. I'd like to welcome your thoughts and look forward to continuing this dialogue. [audience clapping]

Susan Wood: You know, this is a subject very near to my heart, so it's been very difficult to watch so many different opinions on this. Um, I am interested in adding [pause] where I'm going with this one.... What most of you I think are concerned about is the curriculum. When some of the things were adopted, you know, implemented in our system, and they're supposed to be taught in the classroom, that's not a lot that I would want my student. I understand that. I'm not in agreement with the curriculum that we are handed tomorrow. I don't know how we can prevent or buy that, but I do understand where you're coming from. Ships, [coughs] house size, it's all what people are out in the channel for religious or other reasons. Thousands of parents in Oklahoma have decided that there's no way they're going to put their school-aged children in public education. Those families still pay taxes, yet their children are denied access to the same teacher and other school district activities, and yet they're taxed to support something that denies their children's education. And that doesn't have to be the case. Some school boards have proactively adjusted their policies to allow all students or all resident children access to the district activities with, with no commitments required. Taxpayers should get what they pay for. A school district loses no money when a family decides to remove their child, but it could receive more money via registration that it keeps by allowing their children to participate in the extra-curricular activities. Current law and other policies, such as those maintained by the Oklahoma School Association, allow students attending just one class during the day to participate in sports and other activities. Some Oklahoma districts already go further, allowing non-public school students to participate in institute or, and other activities. I'm sure we, as a board, can rectify what needs to be done in this system, follow other districts' examples, so we will continue to do research, uh, and seeing what we need to accomplish. [clapping]

Split Vote Defeats Homeschool Policy Review in District #348

Chandler Madden