The Saugus, Massachusetts, District School Committee has unanimously supported allowing homeschoolers to participate in high school sports and other extracurricular activities in the District. This breaks a 19-year blockage of allowing homeschooled students to participate with their public school counterparts.
School Committee chairwoman, Jeannie Meredith stated that all of the research she had reviewed, as well as common sense, supports the fact that any social interaction is beneficial for students. Saugus School District currently has 12 homeschooled high school students.
Of course, as with regular public school students, the homeschoolers’ academic eligibility will be reviewed and certified by Saugus High School officials before sports participation can be greenlit.
The Committee’s discussion and ultimate vote on the policy change was prompted by an e-mail from a homeschooling parent in June, 2018 inquiring if her son could participate in the sports programs at Saugus.
(Tim Tebow, two-time NCAA national football champion quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner was homeschooled and currently play pro baseball in the Mets’ organization.)
