Oregon school district may let home-schooled students join school sports teams

OREGON, Ill. (WTVO) — The Oregon School District 220 is considering allowing home-schooled students to play sports within the district without the current half-day attendance requirement. 

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt the community at all,” shared resident Julie Ferris.

Right now, a home-schooled student must attend school for half a day to play sports, but the district board held a public meeting to consider dropping that rule. 

“I think that athletics is an outstanding teacher for all students, whether it be homeschool or regular. And the more that we can involve students in our community, in our schools, the better,” shared superintendent PJ Caposey.

Farris homeschools her two children. She has them both enrolled in sports within the Oregon Park District because she doesn’t agree with the district’s half-day school day requirement.

“I hope that by what we have to say, the families that are going to show tonight that there will be an opportunity that they will highly consider allowing our kids to play sports because we pay taxes to the school. We should have this right since the state allows it,” explained Ferris.

Caposey said there are some definitive upsides and potential risks. 

“We see athletics as a privilege and not a right, and that runs counter to allowing homeschool students in. that said, our homeschool students are paying taxes, and we want to kind of recruit them into our schools. Some of the risks would be that we get compensated per student from the state,” said Caposey. 

No vote was in order, only a discussion. Any possible action will be discussed at the next board meeting. Ferris hoped they listened.

“They’ll be receptive to the information that we’re going to bring to the table and really consider making a change to the policy,” said Ferris.