Home School Students May Soon Be Allowed to Play in LHSAA

The Louisiana State Legislature is currently in session.  One of the bills being discussed is House Bill 303, which pertains to the idea of home school students being allowed to play sports on high school sports teams.  The bill states that home school students would have the ability to request to play sports at high schools that are members of the LHSAA (Louisiana High School Sports Association), of which Central High School is a part.  Students would only be allowed to request to play at a school in their district.

The bill was passed last Monday, June 14^th by the Louisiana Senate after a few minor changes.  It will now head back to the House of Representatives for approval before being sent to Governor Jindal for his signature.  Should the bill become law, it would not guarantee home school students positions on high school teams.  The parents of a home school child would have to request permission from the principal of the local high school to allow their child to try out for a team.  The final decision would be in the principal’s hands, meaning that each individual high school would retain the right to decide who is allowed to participate in these school sponsored activities. 

There are potential positive and negative sides to this bill.  The opportunity to play sports at a local high school would enrich the lives of home school students both socially and physically, and it would give each school an even stronger tie to the community as a whole.  However, some maintain that, by choosing to home school their children, parents voluntarily remove the possibility for their students to participate in public school extracurricular activities.  There is also the possibility that some parents will view the decision as unfair if their child is not given permission to try out for a team should the bill pass.

House Bill 303 can be viewed in its entirety online at www.house.louisiana.gov.