As of 2018, Maryland is officially in the minority of states that do not allow homeschoolers the opportunity to participate in any after-school activities, including sports. Currently, 26 other states have decided that, YES, homeschoolers should be given equal access to participate in extracurricular clubs and after-school sports.
The following states specifically allow homeschoolers full access to all after school activities:
- Arizona
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Florida
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
In addition to the above list, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, and Vermont have passed laws that allow individual school districts to decide if homeschoolers can participate in their sports programs.
Determining Eligibility
All states that allow homeschool sports participation also require homeschoolers to prove academic eligibility. The most common ways that states determine academic eligibility include:
- Submit quarterly homeschool portfolio reviews
- Submit standardized test scores
- Meet with the school principal to determine academic abilities
- Part-time public school enrollment
Some states require homeschoolers take up to 50% of their academic courses at a public school. These classes can be exclusively elective classes or can include core subjects.
Last modified on September 13, 2019
