Revised 3/22/2010

SUMMARY:  This bill would amend part 14 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A. to require a public school to allow any student in grades K-12 living in the attendance zone, not enrolled in the public school, but enrolled in a public charter school, to participate in extracurricular activities in that home school.  Students enrolled in charter schools, state charter schools and commission charter schools would all be defined as students eligible to participate.  Home school and private school children would not be eligible, nor would students who transferred from the school in their attendance zone to other high schools under NCLB or under the provisions of HB251 (2009 session).

REQUIREMENTS:

• In the language of the bill, “A public school MAY allow” participation in any and all extracurricular activities for any charter school students in their district.  [the word “require” appears in the introduction to the bill, but the contents of the bill uses the word “may.”]
• SBOE would establish rules and regulations, and the student would follow them to register with the principal of the school where participation is desired.
• Participation would have to meet rules and regulations of the SBOE, GA Charter Schools Commission, state chartered special school, or a commission charter school.
• Academic eligibility for participation would remain at the school of attendance.
• GHSA is not mentioned because it is a private association to which the high schools belong.

NOTE:  Athletic eligibility could become null and void because a parent with a student who struggles academically could withdraw an athlete from a regular public school, enroll him/her in the state virtual school, where the student may or may not do the work assigned himself or herself, and then return the student to participate in extracurricular activities at the public school in his/her attendance zone.  GHSA regulations are not mentioned in the bill, so conflicts in rules made by the other agencies and the GHSA rules that the public school has to follow could occur.  There could be some recruiting issues if there are charter schools of any variety in the attendance zone, but the main issue is that this is a “camel’s nose under the tent” bill.  Once passed, next session the author could come back and expand the eligibility to home schools.