9270 - EQUIVALENT EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE SCHOOLS & PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR FOR STUDENTS NOT ENROLLED IN THE DISTRICT

The Board of Education encourages the enrollment of all school-age children resident in this District in public schools or in approved parochial or private schools so that they may enjoy the benefits of a well-planned educational program and the socialization possible in a group environment.

The Board recognizes its responsibility for assuring that every resident school-age child is enrolled in an approved school or is offered an equivalent education elsewhere and designates the Superintendent to act on its behalf.

Home Education

A parent electing to home-educate a child between the ages of six (6) and eighteen (18) shall provide notice to the Superintendent within five (5) calendar days after commencing home education, moving into the District, or withdrawing from the District or a nonpublic school, and by the thirtieth (30th) day of August each year thereafter. The notice shall include the parent’s name and address, the child’s name, and an assurance that the child will receive education in the following subject areas:

1. English language arts
2. Mathematics
3. Science
4. History
5. Government
6. Social Studies

The child’s exemption from attending school shall be effective upon receipt of the notice. The Superintendent will send written acknowledgment of receipt of the notice within fourteen (14) calendar days. If there is evidence that a child exempt from school for home education is not receiving an education in the required subject areas, the child may be subject to truancy procedures in accordance with Policy 5200.

A qualified special education student who is home-educated may participate in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps ("JROTC") program at their resident school district without being enrolled in the district.

A child who is enrolled in the District following any period of home education shall be placed in the appropriate grade level, without discrimination or prejudice, in accordance with the policies of the Board.

Extracurricular Activity Participation of Students Not Enrolled in District

A student who is educated at home is permitted to participate in any extracurricular activity offered in the School District to which the student would otherwise be assigned during the school year. If the District operates more than one (1) school that serves the student's grade level (as determined by the student's age and academic performance), the student shall be permitted to participate in the extracurricular activities at the school to which the student would be assigned by the Superintendent pursuant to R.C. 3319.01. If the student elects to participate in an extracurricular activity offered by the District, the student is not allowed to participate in that activity at another school or school district to which the student is not entitled to attend.

Similarly, a student who is enrolled in a nonpublic school is entitled to participate in any extracurricular activity not offered by the nonpublic school in the school district to which the student would otherwise be assigned during the school year. If the District operates more than one (1) school that serves the student's grade level (as determined by the student's age and academic performance), the student shall be permitted to participate in that extracurricular activity at the school to which the student would be assigned by the Superintendent pursuant to R.C. 3319.01.

The Superintendent may grant any home-educated student, regardless of whether the Superintendent's district is the student's resident district, the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletics at a school in the District, in accordance with the provisions of Policy 2431- Interscholastic Athletics, if the student was subject to any of the following by a school official, employee, or volunteer, or another student, from the district or school in which the student is enrolled or the district in which the student is participating in interscholastic athletics under R.C. 3313.537, 3313.5311, or 3313.5312: harassment, intimidation, or bullying; a qualifying offense for which the school official, employee, or volunteer, or another student, has been either of the following: charged with, indicted for, convicted of, or pled guilty to committing; alleged to be or is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing; conduct by a school official, employee, or volunteer that violates the licensure code of professional conduct for Ohio educators developed by the State Board of Education. The Superintendent will document the reason(s) for granting participation under this policy. To be eligible, a home-educated student must be of the appropriate age and grade level, as determined by the Superintendent, and must fulfill the same academic, nonacademic, and financial requirements as any other participant. Home-educated students will be subject to the same rules of participation and the same fees that are applied to any other participant. The District will not penalize or restrict eligibility to participate in District interscholastic athletics for students who cease to participate in interscholastic athletics elsewhere during the school year and begin to participate in District programs after being subject to bullying or any other types of offenses listed in this Policy. 

Eligibility Requirements

In order to participate in any extracurricular activity as detailed above, a student being educated at home or enrolled in a nonpublic school must be the appropriate age and grade level for the school that offers the extracurricular activity and must fulfill the same academic, nonacademic, and financial requirements as any other participant as specified in Board policy, administrative guidelines, the student handbooks, and/or the Athletic Handbook. A student educated at home must meet the following academic requirements:

1. If the student received home education in the preceding grade period, the student shall meet any academic requirements established by the State Board of Education for the continuation of home education.
2. If the student did not receive home education in the preceding grading period, the student's academic performance during the preceding grading period shall have met any academic standards for eligibility to participate in the program established by the District.
3. Eligibility for a student who leaves a school district mid-year for home education shall be determined based on an interim academic assessment issued by the district in which the student was enrolled, based on the student's work while enrolled in the District.
4. Any student who commences home education after the beginning of a school year and who is, at the time home education commences, ineligible to participate in an extracurricular activity due to failure to meet academic standards or any other requirements of the District shall not participate in the extracurricular activity until the student meets the academic requirements established by the State Board of Education for continuation of home education as verified by the Superintendent. No student shall be eligible to participate in the same semester in which the student is determined ineligible.

No eligible home-educated or nonpublic school student will be charged any fees in excess of those fees charged to other students for participation in the same extracurricular activity. No student will be denied the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletics offered by a school in the District because the student has or is participating in a college credit plus program, as long as the student fulfills all academic, nonacademic, and financial requirements.

Revised 12/19/17
Revised 9/19/23

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