Upcoming OK homeschooling extracurricular activities study sees mixed reaction

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Some Oklahoma parents whose children are homeschooled are sharing mixed reaction ahead of an upcoming study on potentially allowing those homeschoolers to participate in public school extracurricular activities.

The interim study, proposed by Oklahoma Rep. John Kane (R-OK) says it plans to determine if there is a path towards allowing homeschoolers to participate in activities like athletics, band, debate and fine arts in their own school districts. It stresses that it intends to determine if there is a solution that all stakeholders can agree with.

The study invites the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA). News 4 employees sat down with OSSAA Assistant Director Grant Gower who noted the importance of feedback from the nearly 500 member schools that comprise the association.

"Out of those member schools, what we seek to to do is get input on issues of this nature," said Gower. "Then we try to follow their direct recommendations as much as we can."

Gower says over the years the topic of homeschoolers participating as such has surfaced but that there has never been much movement to go that direction.

"There's good and bad to everything," said Gower. "There would be some positives for schools and for families and students, but there would be some negatives that would go along with this or just a lot of different layers that all schools would have to look at."

Gower said those different layers revolve around each situation being unique for each individual school district; and that the feasibility of something like this would be something they would need to analyze for themselves.

While conversations are underway, some parents tell News 4 they don't want it to be misconstrued as if there aren't available options for homeschoolers interested in extracurriculars.

"We just want to make sure they have the opportunity to excel in whatever they want to do," said homeschooling parent Tasa Barnett.

Barnett is also the Head Track Coach for the Oklahoma City Storm. The organization provides activities for homeschool students in a number of areas. They include basketball, BMX, volleyball, cross country, track and field, pom/dance, golf, soccer, tennis, e-sports and swimming.

"My eldest, she did basketball and track and my youngest did track," said Barnett.

Barnett says she's also aware of groups homeschoolers can join outside of those sports like choir, a math group and science group. She said she would have to think on whether allowing homeschoolers to participate in public school extracurriculars is a good idea.

Barnett argued that it would be nice to have access to public school facilities.

"Right now, we struggle to find a track to run on because we have to pay for everything we do," said Barnett.

On the other hand, Barnett said she understands and feels some of the resistance, especially in light of some the stigma surrounding homeschooling that kids aren't going to be socialized or have the same opportunities public school kids have.

"I would say that by and large, as I said, the public opinion of home schooling is that, you know, we are not doing a good job, that we are not training these kids to be great adults; and that's really not the case," said Barnett. "What we do is so instrumental in training them to be really fantastic adults."

While Barnett hasn't made up her mind, she's definitely heard feedback from others who have.

"I know that there's a lot of resistance in Oklahoma to the government having any say over the homeschool community," said Barnett. "If we open up that venue at some level we're going to have some sort of governmental control, and that's what people are complaining about."