A bill allowing homeschooled students to take part in public and charter school athletics and activities has passed both the Missouri House and Senate and is awaiting Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signature.

Known as Senate Bill 63 and dubbed the “Homeschoolers Sports Act,” the bill if signed into law would still require tryouts and meeting the same eligibility requirements of all students seeking to participate in whatever sport or activity.

Currently, Lincoln County R-III School District permits homeschooled students to participate but those students have to be “in-seat for two classes” according to Audrey Henebry, district spokesperson. For the district, the bill would only moderately modify their current practice such as removing the required two classes.

“This bill does stipulate that if the fine arts or career and technical education organization activity that the student wants to participate in has a course requirement that would still be in effect. For example, a student looking to join the marching band would still be required to take the on-campus band course that accompanies this co-curricular activity. Tryouts would still be required but academic eligibility would be determined by the student’s parents,” Henebry said.

The goal of the bill is to provide more equal access. For Dawn Boles, the mother of 12-year-old Hannah, a sixth grade student, she supports the bill, especially after seeing the effect playing in a public school sport has had on her daughter. Hannah has been participating in volleyball, a favorite hobby, this school year with the Lincoln County R-III School District and plans to return next year.

“She has been dedicating every awake minute to the sport,” Boles said.

Hannah suffers from a genetic condition called macular degeneration, and is projected to go blind sometime in her teen years, so having the opportunity to play her beloved sport of volleyball as a homeschooling student has been a big plus. Boles says that currently there is no volleyball accessible to vision impaired individuals.

“Her coaches and teammates have been nothing but supportive and amazing at encouraging her to pursue her passion for as long as she can,” Boles said. “Her coach, Rhonda Favor, has taken Hannah under her wing and devoted time and effort to make sure she is included in everything they do. Rhonda doesn’t treat her like she has a disability at all, and it makes Hannah very strong and connected to her peers.”

If signed, the bill would likely take effect in August. Henebry says “it’s difficult to estimate” the number of homeschooling students that could show an interest in joining extracurricular activities or sports if the bill becomes law. A possible concern of the bill Henebry says is “there could be a potential for inequity in academic eligibility.”

“I think it’s a great idea to have homeschoolers able to play with in-person school students,” Boles said. “It offers more people to make friends and potentially make stronger teams. It gives the home schoolers the social interaction that they need.”