[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6265826,"mediaKeyId","3088569-94d88633efbfb9dfbe58737a36b3bc38","parentId",3088569,"title","Subcommittee approves bill to clarify homeschool student access to extracurriculars, CTE; adds transfer protections","audioSeconds",2178,"startMs",4821000,"endMs",6999000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088569-94d88633efbfb9dfbe58737a36b3bc38&start=4821&end=6999","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088569-94d88633efbfb9dfbe58737a36b3bc38/thumbnail_4821000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6265826/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-approves-bill-to-clarify-homeschool-student-access-to-extracurriculars-CTE-adds-transfer-protections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6265826-598d28329c593edab1583a3fbe588e5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138373&Signature=AvoYAPdxBH~GnaAoQz2wUqL4m2tTFtV74~KCu~qiqV50Q8rzCseclqqdEq-b8rxx1gx1tXCQBzTNgo-62Bc-f-03UonIzNqGTopiMavav0XDTE16U8TO3~G~WrVHSLzPXLhfAw~N01UWvkrItspLcvlNG~61cqSrV0mFw9w0MhIxe4DSMW8Yup-07bAJms0BiZ2ZQ3~dtrnznMyE5yZ6U9~WTEpVQi1x6JiijjA8EUxppXp6~f1~fqUySV355nUGIR4Jf5qHP-1-kK-My40Sx6k-D1PdBwOrq0ZVOX6dDjD2FLexfJB-BR2xY62Ut5GgY394nBWDBnZClaoOk3qrdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","South Carolina Legislature","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","The House Education and Public Works Subcommittee advanced H.3802, a bill that clarifies and strengthens homeschool students’ equal access to public school extracurricular and co‑curricular activities, career and technical education (CTE) programs and protections from participation fees.

The bill would: (1) confirm that homeschool students may participate in extracurricular and co‑curricular activities and CTE offerings in districts where those programs are available; (2) prohibit a school district from charging a homeschool or governor‑school student a participation fee or other charge when the fee is not assessed on enrolled students; and (3) add language protecting certain transfers so a homeschool student moving between public schools is not automatically barred from sports participation on transfer.

Why it matters: Testimony described multiple cases in which homeschool families say districts used narrow or new terminology — notably “co‑curricular” — and local policies to deny access or to require fees not charged to enrolled students. Witnesses said the result was denied opportunities for competition, specialized CTE training such as cosmetology, or costly up‑front payments that could block low‑income students from participation.

Witnesses who spoke strongly in favor of the bill included homeschool parents, local homeschool association leaders and attorneys from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). A homeschool parent who identified herself as the Trinity Homeschool Academy director recounted being turned away from a local high school swim team and said, “The discrimination is real.” The witness said her family’s son ultimately prevailed after HSLDA intervened, but only after a year‑long appeal process.

Katharine Gregory, a homeschool parent, described an access dispute involving the East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies’ cosmetology program and told the committee that districts were using the phrase “co‑curricular” to deny homeschool students the ability to apply. Kelly Rowe, a board member of the South Carolina Home Educators Association, urged lawmakers to pass the amended language to prevent districts from circumventing the original 2012 equal access law; she told the panel, “We are not asking for extra special rights. We’re just asking for same equal footing.”

Darren Jones, senior counsel with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, said the bill addresses gaps left by the 2012 equal access law and will make the promise of that law enforceable in more cases. “This bill now implements that promise to a greater degree,” Jones said.

Committee action: Representative Vaughn offered an amendment to protect homeschool students who transfer between public schools from being barred from sports after an initial transfer; the amendment added language allowing that protection to apply even if administration changes or a successor organization assumes league duties. The subcommittee adopted the amendment by roll call and then reported H.3802 favorably as amended to the full committee on a recorded vote.

Substantive concerns raised in testimony included: district-level interpretation of “co‑curricular” versus “extracurricular,” practices of charging fees to homeschool students (one witness reported a $500 fee in one county), and unclear appeals paths when parents or students are denied access. Lawmakers and witnesses discussed Attorney General opinions and prior provisos that shaped the current practices and which the bill seeks to clarify.

The subcommittee voted to send the bill to the full committee for further consideration; the committee’s favorable report does not itself change local district policy but would direct subsequent committee and floor consideration of the statutory language.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education and Public Works Committee -- E.P.W. K-12 Subcommittee - April 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Education and Public Works Subcommittee advanced H.3802, a bill that clarifies and strengthens homeschool students’ equal access to extracurricular activities, co‑curricular programs and CTE offerings, and bars districts from charging fees that enrolled students do not pay.","taxTitle","2025 Legislative Meetings, South Carolina","taxId",78666,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6265831,"Subcommittee advances bill to create new South Carolina High School Athletic Association",4601,167000,4768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088569-94d88633efbfb9dfbe58737a36b3bc38&start=167&end=4768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088569-94d88633efbfb9dfbe58737a36b3bc38/thumbnail_167000.jpg","/articles/6265831/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-advances-bill-to-create-new-South-Carolina-High-School-Athletic-Association","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6265831-937b50450c92d1004df5b417511514a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138373&Signature=n3394Bb16sZngyXRQ30rnowRq3prokATM4KCziyG6NqWvUZU0e5amoD6Jiy5D2LvbV12DkOQvR9oRdgohTPTYSBLWc0enY-1SltCTL8uTVAt32a0WV9EWn8gPSHQOLxUYffbAU28HBtEZhQGNEdWQ-A3qiU4HNXejXs~ciNkMtJslpYI0iFKnEjxtdGHqtcOhOyAG810ViAS2S6TivoavdOfEswEJckqkBlojsTPkQ7wuyx8pBlKDGH3VYzvJ4ztQJkcAyA9n4ovg07OU7Tqy8w8pLdhy2-qNBj07MWcPhHRZrix5ug5uQFtxF02wBJ4InkzRAWd38chPEc-ln~8TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Education and Public Works Subcommittee advanced H.4163, a bill that would create a nonprofit South Carolina High School Athletic Association to govern interscholastic athletics and set rules for participation, transfers and appeals.

The measure would form a board of directors that includes a delegate from the state superintendent of education, appointees from House and Senate leadership and caucuses, two governor appointees recommended by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, and other members. The bill states the association would be funded through membership fees, ticket receipts from playoff games and similar sources, and it would hire a director and set an appellate process. The bill as amended also creates a standing advisory committee appointed by the association director.

Why it matters: H.4163 would shift statutory governance of high school athletics to a newly created nonprofit corporation and codify membership, funding streams and an appellate path for eligibility and transfer disputes — issues that drew repeated concern from athletic directors, coaches and lawmakers at the hearing.

Several athletic administrators told the subcommittee they support local school involvement in rulemaking and said the existing South Carolina High School League has become more transparent in recent years. Tommy Bell, who identified himself as a high school athletic director and as president of the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association, said, “I am a high school athletic director. I am the president of the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association.” Bell urged lawmakers to let membership-driven change continue and warned against assuming the league’s current leadership is incompetent.

Jack Kosmicki, athletic director at Eastside High School and vice president of the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association, told the subcommittee, “The South Carolina High School League is made up of the member schools. We are the high school league.” Kosmicki explained that membership — not only league staff — proposes and votes on changes to bylaws and rules at the league’s March meetings.

Jerome Singleton, commissioner of the South Carolina High School League, described the league’s long history and the membership process used to set rules and address issues such as transfers and participation by homeschool, private and charter students. “The league has been in place since 1913,” Singleton said, and he described the league’s process for vetting rule changes and for operating under provisos that occasionally appear in the annual appropriations act.

Committee action: The subcommittee adopted an amendment creating a seven‑member advisory committee to the association’s board of directors that the association director would appoint; members would serve four‑year terms and meet as their bylaws require. The amendment was adopted by voice and roll call and the subcommittee then reported the bill favorably as amended to the full committee.

What remained unsettled at the hearing were several operational questions raised by lawmakers — including how the association’s board would select designees, whether the statutorily described board would have sufficient bandwidth to manage day‑to‑day operations, and how the appellate process would operate in time‑sensitive eligibility disputes.

The subcommittee vote to adopt the amendment and to report H.4163 to the full committee were unanimous on recorded roll calls. The record shows the subcommittee sent the bill forward by voice and roll call vote and recorded all ayes on the motions to adopt the amendment and to report the bill as amended.","The House Education and Public Works Subcommittee advanced H.4163, a bill that would create a nonprofit South Carolina High School Athletic Association to govern interscholastic athletics and set rules for participation, transfers and appeals.","actionData","errors"]

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Subcommittee approves bill to clarify homeschool student access to extracurriculars, CTE; adds transfer protections

Subcommittee advances bill to create new South Carolina High School Athletic Association