Board declines to opt into Senate Bill 401 provision allowing non‑enrolled students UIL participation
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Summary
Trustees debated Senate Bill 401 and local policy FM/FD regarding participation of non‑enrolled (homeschool/private) students in UIL; administration recommended opting out to preserve equity and verification processes, and a motion to adopt the policies failed on a 3–3 split.
Godley ISD trustees discussed whether to permit non‑enrolled students — including homeschool and private‑school students — to participate in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities under recently passed state law. The district ultimately did not adopt the proposed FM and FD local policies and will maintain an opt‑out stance for now.
Public commenters urged the board to allow participation, noting legislative funding provisions and arguing the move would promote community engagement. One speaker summarized recent bills, including HB547 (authorizing ISDs to extend UIL options to non‑enrolled students), HB3708 (allocating $1,500 per student per UIL event) and Senate Bill 401 (requiring districts to opt out to decline participation). That commenter argued that allowing non‑enrolled students would be equitable and could bring state funds to the district.
District administration and trustees expressed concerns about equity and verification. Superintendent and administrators said the district needs reliable academic and behavioral documentation to ensure visiting students meet the same eligibility standards as enrolled students. "We would need some things in place," an administrator said, citing uncertainty about how homeschool programs document grades or standardized testing. Administrators invited homeschool and private‑school stakeholders to share records and said the district was open to future changes if reliable verification mechanisms could be developed.
Trustees asked for more information from nearby districts and athletic and activity directors on how implementation would work. Administration noted that Cleburne ISD allows participation and that Senate Bill 401 permits students to attend the nearest district that offers participation if a student's home district does not. Administrators also said the opt‑out decision can be revisited; the immediate deadline for the district to opt out this year was noted as September 1, and subsequent annual decisions are possible.
A motion to approve the adoption of revised FM and FD local policies to allow non‑enrolled students to participate was made and seconded but failed on a 3–3 tie. Trustees acknowledged that the failure to adopt does not preclude the district from crafting its own approach in the future.
