Texas Senate Bill SB718

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Caption

Relating to equal opportunity for access by home-schooled students to University Interscholastic League sponsored activities; authorizing a fee.

Impact

The implementation of SB718 could significantly alter the landscape of extracurricular participation in Texas schools. While it promotes inclusivity for home-schooled students, it also places an academic proficiency requirement on such students, requiring that they demonstrate grade-level proficiency through standardized assessment tests at the beginning of the school year to ensure their eligibility. This requirement may raise concerns about the adequacy of home-schooling practices and the evaluation mechanisms utilized by parents and guardians.

Summary

Senate Bill 718, introduced by Senator Fallon, aims to provide equal opportunity for home-schooled students to participate in activities sponsored by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The bill mandates that public schools, which engage in UIL activities, must allow home-schooled students who meet the league's eligibility standards an opportunity to participate in these activities, similar to their enrolled peers. This is meant to enhance inclusivity and address the needs of the home-schooling community within the state's educational framework.

Contention

One notable aspect of the bill is the balance it seeks to achieve between supporting home-schooled students and maintaining academic standards within public education. Some stakeholders might argue that imposing state-level proficiency standards could conflict with the freedom and autonomy that many families value in home-schooling. Furthermore, the bill explicitly prevents any governmental authority from exercising undue control over the education of home-schooled students, which is likely to be a point of contention among advocates for home-schooling rights and public education proponents.