Hsers participating in school classes/activities- Tell us about your area.

[phathui5]

What state are you in? What level of involvement are homeschoolers allowed to have with the schools where you are?

[dani3boys]

Here in MN homeschool students are allowed to participate in any sports or other extra curricular activities. They are also allowed to take classes at the ps as long as there is enough room and materials available. We don't have a lot of regulation here either, so I consider this to be a pretty good state for homeschooling.

[4everHis]

Michigan. We can take any class at the ps except core classes.

[nukeswife]

I'm in VA and last I heard/read it was up to the individual district to decide what, if any participation homeschoolers could have in sports or classes. My district has taken a strict "We don't serve your kind" approach to it which is awful because I'd love for my kids to be able to join in with PS for things like Art and music.

[myfunnybunch]

We're in Oregon. Participation in ps classes is allowed, but it's easier or harder in different school districts.

 

Our neighborhood school invites homeschoolers to use the library and our district makes it fairly easy to take classes. Homeschoolers must register for classes but are still considered homeschoolers as long as less than 50% of the instructional day takes place at the school.

 

My ds took PE at the neighborhood school in kindergarten, and I volunteered in the library while he was in class. It was a good experience. Our high school has an excellent chemistry teacher--I expect I'll enroll my sons in his class once they reach high school.

 

Cat

[In The Great White North]

VT/NH are allowed to participate in anything offered to regular students: classes, sports, band, etc.

 

There must be a limit before you are considered a full time student but I know a "home-schooled" freshman taking four classes at the high school this year.

[Home_s_Cool]

I only know about the sports side of things for high school level.

 

In CT, you are not allowed to participate in high school sports. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Handbook reads:

 

 

HOME SCHOOLED STUDENTS: Eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics is not to be extended to any student whose program is not under the direct supervision of a CIAC member school. This prohibition includes any recognition by member schools of home schooling as school district sponsored “alternative programs.†Alternative programs, for the purposes of interscholastic athletics, are only to be recognized if they are developed by and function under the direct control of the local school system to serve the educational needs of a targeted group of students.

 

 

 

 

I believe for middle school sports it is up to the individual school district.

 

 

[KarenNC]

NC---essentially zip. No classes, no extracurriculars. The only things I can think might be exceptions are some levels of things like speech therapy, etc (but that's problematic even for those in the schools full time). No tax breaks, credits, incentives, no provision of any sort of curricula or materials.

 

I have recently discovered that there's a possibility, depending on the school system, that we might be able to participate in the NC Virtual Public School service for a fee, but not sure if that's available in our area or what the fee might be. We don't have a public virtual charter option like many states have. The NCVPS is designed to provide brick and mortar schools with access to classes they don't have on their campuses.

Edited October 3, 2011 by KarenNC

[SweetMissMagnolia]

mississippi----not sure how the whole state is but from my experiences it's been that the ps doesn't want anypart of hs'ers.....meaning that if you aren't in ps full time they don't offer anything....

[gingersmom]

In New Jersey you are not even allowed to step on school grounds.

 

Kidding. :D

[linders]

Homeschoolers don't exist in SC (at least from the public school's vantage point). Hard and fast lines that aren't crossed.

[meggie]

I'm in Utah and not sure how the whole state operates, but we just signed Pigby up to go one day a week at a charter school. This particular charter school lets you either do everything at home or 1 day a week at the school or 3 days a week at the school. One day a week seemed perfect for us. It is normally supposed to be on art and music day but they didn't have space and volunteered to let us go on another day. I know there's another charter school in the area that lets kids do this too.

[mommyrooch]

I live in Oklahoma. All of the public schools I know of here do not allow homeschoolers participate in anything offered through the schools. This includes classes, sports, services etc... There is a big division here between the local schools and homeschoolers.

[Whereneverever]

Wyoming- kids are allowed in classes and sports, reporting is minimal.

[kewb]

In regards to taking classes, in NJ, you are either in the school system or you are not.

For high school sports homeschooler participation is at the discretion of the individual school district. In the town I live in sports are run by the town until high school so my kids have been able to participate.

[Ali in OR]

Also in Oregon. My dd is now taking 6th grade band at the local middle school. They've been great to work with (except for taking her out of class for a reading test...grrr!). It's mutually beneficial--their funding from the state is based on how many kids they have. I know they don't get full funding for her, but every little bit helps. And she's a good kid--the kind teachers want in class. She's enjoying it too, and since we plan to put her in the public school for high school, it's a good way for her to make some friends and have a place where she belongs when she hits 9th grade.

[Cheryl in NM]

In New Mexico homeschooled students are allowed to participate in 1 extra curriccular activity per year. I have heard that they are now allowed to attend classes at the school, but don't know anyone actually doing it. We are in a very rough district. Ds was severely bullied when playing Little League baseball and YAFL. He finally has to use some Jiu Jitsu on the biggest bully to get them off his back (literally and figuratively). We don't participate in anything involving these kids anymore because at this age they are more likely to be carrying knives and guns.

[aliall]

Our district in Iowa allows the kids to participate in classes that have specific time frames. For example, at the elementary level, they can participate in specials (Spanish, PE, Music, or Art) because they are at a set time each day. Math or reading could be taught at any time, so from a practical point of view, I wouldn't be able to get my child there whenever math is going on especially if the teacher has a flexible schedule. Makes sense, I think although I don't know what the actual state laws are on this. My son had an IEP for speech therapy a few years ago and was able to do this at the schools.

 

Once kids are in jr. high/high school and classes have set times, they can take as many classes as they like, as far as I know.

 

We didn't do any classes at the schools last year, but my ds8 is doing PE every 4 days and my dd10 has band lessons every couple days and band rehearsals every other day. (I bought a smart phone with a calendar to deal with this scheduling headache!)

 

Kids are allowed to do sports and extracurriculars. We sign up as "dual enrolled" students so that we can participate, and the schools get a certain amount of funding for my children based on how many classes they take.

 

It is pretty reasonable, I think, and has been a great way to get us involved with the school community in a way that we are comfortable.

[KarenNC]

NC---essentially zip. No classes, no extracurriculars. The only things I can think might be exceptions are some levels of things like speech therapy, etc (but that's problematic even for those in the schools full time). No tax breaks, credits, incentives, no provision of any sort of curricula or materials.

 

I have recently discovered that there's a possibility, depending on the school system, that we might be able to participate in the NC Virtual Public School service for a fee, but not sure if that's available in our area or what the fee might be. We don't have a public virtual charter option like many states have. The NCVPS is designed to provide brick and mortar schools with access to classes they don't have on their campuses.

 

Based on what I can find online, suggested fee for participating in the NCVPS is $100 registration per course, then a course fee:

Cost of Course

 

Year Long - $400

Block Fall or Spring - $350

SAT Prep - $350

Health Education - $175

Critical Language Course &Coach (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese & Russian)- $600

Summer block- $200

Summer SAT Prep- $200

Summer Health Education - $100

 

This is from the NCVPS wesbsite---don't know if this is standard across school districts or just an example of what might be charged. It also looks to me as if this does not include any textbooks or materials fee, which range from no cost to over $250 (for AP Physics, for example).

 

So, not so much of an advantage to take it here vs through some other online school----not much of a break for NC taxpayers.

[Melissa B]

We are in Florida. Our county has a very good relationship with homeschoolers and private schoolers as well. My dd is on a homeschool volleyball team and the small Christian school we played last week doesn't have their own gymnasium, so the public school shares theirs. We met the athletic director for the public school while we were there and he invited my dd to try out for his basketball team. He was very friendly. We can generally take any classes, participate in any activities, etc. Homeschoolers also have a good relationship with the local CC that welcomes high school students either in school or homeschooled.