Home School. In accordance with ACT 630 of 2023, a home school student shall be given the opportunity to try out for an athletic or non-athletic competitive activity or team in their resident public school district, any other public school district, or a private school if the following criteria are met:
1. Inform the principal of the resident school district in writing of their request to participate in the interscholastic activity before the signup, tryout, or participation deadlines established for students enrolled in the resident school district.
2. Inform the principal in the request that the student has demonstrated academic eligibility by obtaining: a minimum test score of the thirtieth percentile on The Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition, or another nationally recognized norm-referenced test in the previous (12) months, or a minimum score on a test approved by the State Board of Education.
3. In order to be eligible to participate, the student must be enrolled within the first (11) days of the fall or spring semester.
4. Meets the same requirements as enrolled students in regards to practice times, required drug testing, permission slips, waivers, physical exams, and participation fees.
5. Required to be at school only when participation in the interscholastic activity requires other students who participate in the interscholastic activity to be at school.
6. Be transported by the resident school district to and from interscholastic activities as the resident school district transports other students who are enrolled in the resident school district; and enrolled by his or her resident school district in a nonacademic class period that coincides with the interscholastic activity in which the homeschooled student participates in order for the resident school district to receive an amount equal to one-sixth (1/6) of the state foundation funding.
7. A homeschooled student may participate in interscholastic activities at a public school other than the homeschooled students’ resident public school by mutual agreement between the resident public school and any other public school where the home-schooled student wishes to participate, if the homeschooled student has not participated in an athletic activity at a AAA member school. However, a homeschooled student may participate in an interscholastic activity at a public school other than the homeschooled students’ resident school without a mutual agreement, as required, if the homeschool student’s resident school does not offer the interscholastic activity; AND the superintendent of the other public school district agrees to allow the homeschooled student to enroll in the interscholastic activity.
8. A student who withdraws from an Arkansas Activities Association member school and enrolls in a home school shall immediately be eligible to participate in any interscholastic activity at the public school. However, a homeschooled student shall not be eligible to participate in an interscholastic sports activity if he or she withdrew from an interscholastic sports activity at the resident school district during the previous 365 days.
9. A student who withdraws from an Arkansas Activities Association member school to be homeschooled shall be eligible to participate in any interscholastic activity in a private school. However, a homeschooled student shall not be eligible to participate in an interscholastic sports activity in the private school if he or she withdrew from an interscholastic sports activity at an Arkansas Activities Association member school during the previous 365 days.
Go to: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/
NOTE: Students who are dually enrolled as home schooled students and enrolled in non-member, non-public schools that; A. charge tuition or fees or B. have an administrative structure or C. require student attendance for onsite instruction or D. have a structure for grade promotion, would be considered a student of a non-member school and would not qualify for the opportunity to compete at AAA member schools as provided under Article III, Section 1, Rule L, M, N.