Public schools cannot exclude approved home study students from extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics solely for that enrollment if they live in the school’s attendance zone.
§176.2. Extracurricular activities; interscholastic athletics; participation by home study students A. A public school shall not disqualify a student from participating in extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics solely because the student is enrolled in an approved home study program, so long as the student lives in the attendance zone of the public school. (1) A student who is enrolled in an approved home study program shall try out or apply for extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics at the public school in the same manner, time, and place as the students who attend the public school. (2) After the try out or application, should the approved home study student meet the qualifications for an extracurricular activities club or an interscholastic athletics team, the approved home study student shall be required to maintain all requirements for participation that a public school student would have to meet in order to participate in the extracurricular activity or the interscholastic athletics activity, including but not limited to maintaining a minimum grade point average and complying with disciplinary standards. Failure to meet the requirements with respect to a minimum grade point average or failure to adhere to the disciplinary standards shall be grounds for the school to remove the approved home study student from participation in the extracurricular activities club or the interscholastic athletics team. B. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no public school may be a member of, or participate in any competition sponsored by, any interscholastic extracurricular athletic association or organization that denies eligibility to a student solely on the basis of the student's enrollment in an approved home study program. Acts 2024, No. 715, §1.