The West Central School Board members continued a discussion last week on allowing homeschooled students to participate in athletics at the corporation.
Superintendent Dan Zylstra noted that a policy exists at the high school per IHSAA rules. A homeschooled student must be enrolled in at least one class at the high school and the student must pass five solid courses. Currently, there are no rules at the Middle School or Elementary School. He said there isn’t a reason why the corporation couldn’t allow the students to participate without being enrolled.
“Other districts are doing that,” explained Zylstra. “I talked with a superintendent in the north-central part of Indiana who allows it. I did look into our insurance information and as along as we crafted the paperwork properly, our liability coverage would include those students if they participated. It would protect everyone who is involved.”
If the parents and students signed off that they had medical coverage then that would be allowed.
Other provisions will be included in language in a possible policy.
The school board agreed that it could be beneficial to the corporation in that it would add athletes to sports that could use the membership, and it could entice the student to eventually enroll as a full-time student.
Zylstra said he’d work on a policy and present it for approval in a future meeting.
