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LEGAL/LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
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ACROSS THE STATES
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Lyon County reconsiders policy
Lyon County recently decided to revamp its policy regarding homeschooler participation in extracurricular activity. The proposed policy essentially bars homeschoolers from parti-cipating in many of the activities they are now eligible for under the existing homeschool equal access law.
Nevada law clearly states that homeschoolers shall be allowed to participate in classes and extracurricular activities in the local public school. The only exceptions are when a child does not meet the qualifications for participation or there is no physical room for the homeschooled child. The Lyon County policy ignored existing law by not allowing homeschool participation in most cases, with only a few exceptions.
In numerous private and public meetings, the Nevada Homeschool Network (NHN) offered to help draft the new policy, but was rebuffed. Finally, NHN was able to schedule a meeting with the Lyon County School Board to discuss the proposed policy.
Home School Legal Defense Association Senior Counsel Christopher Klicka sent a letter to the school board on behalf of Nevada homeschoolers. He explained that the Nevada equal access law is simple and straightforward, and that the proposed policy did not conform to existing law. Klicka encouraged the school board to cooperate with the Nevada Homeschool Network in creating a better policy.
Several homeschoolers spoke at the meeting and NHN Parent at Large Frank Schnorbus read Klicka's letter. A rough draft of a policy acceptable to homeschoolers was also proposed.
As a result, the Lyon County School Board agreed to scrap their bad policy. A committee consisting of public school administrators, public school parents, and homeschool parents, with assistance from members of the Nevada Homeschool Advisory Council, will be formed to write a policy that lines up with state law.
— by Christopher J. Klicka
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