BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The school board is discussing whether to amend their policy to allow homeschooled students to join their interscholastic athletic programs.
Board member Stacey Friedlander shared notes from the recent Community Relations Committee meeting where they discussed and reviewed policy 2431 for athletic competition for homeschooled students.
“Currently, our policy does not allow homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic athletic programs,” said Friedlander who asked the school board to discuss whether this should be changed at the Sept. 24 meeting.
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Board President Barry Walker noted that the district does allow homeschooled students to participate in extracurricular activities just not athletics.
“I am agnostic on it,” said Superintendent Robert Beers. “We get a few requests each year and it really is the decision of the Board… There is not a groundswell of kids. It is not as if we are going to add 100 kids to the athletic program. Each year we have a handful.”
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Beers added that there are some homeschooled students who already participate in different clubs but this year he had a request to join the athletics program and that iss why he brought it to the Community Relations Committee’s attention.
“You can count the requests on one hand on a given year,” said Beers in regards to homeschooled students.
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Ultimately, the school board decided to send the topic back to the Community Relations Committee to discuss further. Board members also were encouraged to contact the committee chairwoman Emily Calistri with their thoughts.
If the Committee decides to move forward on this, it will return in front of the school board for a first reading on the revision.
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