S-W school board to deny homeschoolers

SUSSEX BOROUGH — The Sussex-Wantage Regional School District Board of Education introduced an amendment to deny homeschooled children living in the district access to public school programs on Nov. 30.
The issue arose after a homeschool family requested permission for their child to join the Sussex-Wantage cross-country team.
According to the New Jersey Department of Education website, local school boards may allow homeschooled students “to participate in curricular and extracurricular activities or sports activities.”
In 2011, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) amended their bylaws to make it clear that local school districts may allow homeschooled students to compete in interscholastic sports, provided the student resides in the district for which he is playing, obtains approval from his local school board and principal, demonstrates that he is academically qualified and is receiving an equivalent education, and complies with all requirements imposed on other members of the team.
School Board member Ryan Coyle strongly opposed passing the motion denying access, voicing his opinion that the board was “elected to represent all children in this district” and that denying homeschooled children access to public school athletic programs felt “punitive”.
However Board of Education President Robert Heiden stated that allowing such access “would not foster what we’re trying to do in our school. We are building for children who go to this school.”
Board Vice President William Bolella agreed.
“If you want to be part of public education, then you get all of the benefits.” Heiden concluded, “You can have your cake, but you can’t eat it, too.”, referring to homeschool parents knowing that when they choose to homeschool, they fully understand the sacrifices (such as access to athletic programs) that choice entails.
“What is it going to be next?”, asked board member Kenneth Nuss, echoing a shared concern that allowing homeschool children access to public school athletic programs would create similar demand from other non-public school families including charter and private schools, “(We must allow) everybody or nobody.”
However, the NJSIAA website states that “private/parochial schools are not part of the exceptions” which allow homeschool students to participate in public school athletic programs.
Additional concern regarded opening the door to potential requests from homeschool families to join extracurricular programs beyond athletic programs, such as the school play, and to allow homeschool families to participate a la carte in the public school curriculum, for example choosing public school math while homeschooling for additional subjects.
Board Members Susan Fields and Nuss expressed openness to re-examining the issue were more demand to arise from homeschool parents.
Statistics regarding the population of Sussex-Wantage homeschool students were not readily available, however, the U.S. Department of Education placed the nation’s number of homeschooled students at 1,773,0001 students in 2012.
Interim Superintendent Robert Mooney did not respond to calls or email.