Reference Title: home schools; pupils; interscholastic activities

AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 15-802.01, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES; RELATING TO CHILDREN INSTRUCTED AT HOME.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-802.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

15-802.01 . Children instructed at home; eligibility to participate in interscholastic activities

A. Notwithstanding any other law, a child who resides within the attendance area of a public school and who is instructed at home may SHALL be allowed to participate in TRY OUT FOR interscholastic activities on behalf of the public school IN THE SAME MANNER AS A PUPIL WHO IS ENROLLED IN THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL . If a school declines to allow children instructed at home to participate in an interscholastic activity, the children instructed at home who reside within the attendance area of the school may be allowed to participate in the interscholastic activity on behalf of any other school. The state board of education shall adopt rules prescribing procedures for the participation of children instructed at home in interscholastic activities, including, if necessary, requiring the child to take a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test or academic evaluation for verification of academic performance. The rules adopted by the state board of education shall provide that REGISTRATION, AGE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, FEES, INSURANCE, TRANSPORTATION, PHYSICAL CONDITION, QUALIFICATIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES, EVENT SCHEDULES, STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE POLICIES FOR HOME SCHOOLED STUDENTS SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE POLICIES ESTABLISHED FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL. THE INDIVIDUAL PROVIDING THE PRIMARY INSTRUCTION OF A CHILD WHO IS INSTRUCTED AT HOME SHALL SUBMIT WRITTEN VERIFICATION THAT PROVIDES:

1. WHETHER THE STUDENT IS RECEIVING A PASSING GRADE IN EACH COURSE OR SUBJECT BEING TAUGHT.

2. WHETHER THE STUDENT IS MAINTAINING SATISFACTORY PROGRESS TOWARDS ADVANCEMENT OR PROMOTION.

B. A child who is instructed at home and who was previously enrolled in a school shall be ineligible to participate in interscholastic activities on behalf of a different school for the remainder of the school year during which the child was enrolled in a school.

B. C. A school district shall not contract with any private entity that supervises interscholastic activities if the private entity prohibits the participation of children instructed at home in interscholastic activities AT PUBLIC, PRIVATE OR CHARTER SCHOOLS .