SB 39

Interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities; virtual charter

school pupils

The bill allows a pupil who attends a virtual charter school to participate in

interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities in the pupil's resident school

district.

Under current law, a school board must allow a homeschooled pupil who resides

in the school district to participate in interscholastic athletics and extracurricular

activities. Current law further provides that a school board may charge a

homeschooled pupil a participation fee on the same basis that the school board

charges participation fees to pupils enrolled in the school district. The bill extends

these provisions to pupils who attend a virtual charter school. Under the bill, a

school board may charge a virtual charter school pupil a participation fee on the same

basis it charges participation fees to pupils enrolled in the school district.

Interscholastic athletic association; transfer rules in the 2020-21 and

2021-22 school years

This bill prohibits a school district from being a member of an interscholastic

athletic association in the 2021-22 school year unless, during the 2020-21 and

2021-22 school years, the association allows an exception to the association's

transfer rules based on the manner in which educational programming was

delivered during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. Specifically, under the bill,

for purposes of eligibility during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, the

interscholastic athletic association must consider the method by which educational

programming was delivered during the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year to be an

extenuating circumstance that justifies transferring schools. Under the bill, the

“method of delivering educational programming” includes virtual instruction,

in-person instruction, and a combination of both virtual and in-person instruction.

Additionally, if a waiver is granted based on the method of delivering educational

programming in the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year, the association must allow the

pupil to play any level of athletics, including varsity athletics.