Homeschool families ask Burke County board to ease rules restricting sports eligibility

Kelly Harmon, a former Burke County Public School teacher and homeschool parent, told the board on Jan. 27 that existing local policy requires dually enrolled homeschool students to attend “seated classes for half the day,” and that the rule’s language—“may only satisfy this enrollment through face to face instruction”—leaves homeschool families with “no wiggle room.”

The matter matters because several families said the rule prevents students who are homeschooled for legitimate instructional reasons from trying out for school teams. “My goal is to hopefully come alongside you in the future months to hopefully find some way to allow homeschoolers to play sports in Burke County without so much difficulty and confusion,” Kelly Harmon said.

Nut graf: Parents and students described multiple practical problems created by the district’s requirement that dually enrolled homeschoolers complete face‑to‑face coursework for half a school day. They urged the board to accept North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) coursework or other approved online options, to allow case‑by‑case documentation (transcripts, yearly testing and report cards), or to recognize accredited co‑ops such as Classical Conversations as qualifying programs under current policy language.

At the podium, Jacob Harmon, a homeschooled student who attends a classical co‑op Monday through the week, described the challenge of balancing six hours of home instruction, dyslexia tutoring and extracurricular classes while meeting the half‑day in‑seat requirement. “I will have 0 chances,” Jacob Harmon said of continuing competitive middle‑school sports if current rules remain in place.

Leanne Bradley, a longtime Burke County resident, and her daughter, Sarah Beth Bradley, added that they have repeatedly met with school staff and administrators to comply with the district’s dual‑enrollment rules. Sarah Beth said she has been dually enrolled three years and that this year’s changes removed virtual options that previously made participation possible. “I think I should go to try out or have the chance to try out for middle school team because I’ve gone beyond and beyond to meet the requirements to be able to play sports,” Sarah Beth Bradley said.

Speakers asked the board to consider three specific options: 1) permit homeschool students to use NCVPS/other approved online courses to meet the dual‑enrollment requirement, 2) evaluate homeschool eligibility on a case‑by‑case basis using transcripts and required yearly testing, or 3) amend the district policy’s “or similar programs approved by the Board of Education” clause to explicitly recognize rigorous co‑ops such as Classical Conversations.

Several commenters said neighboring counties explicitly allow online dual enrollment for athletic eligibility and urged Burke County to emulate those practices. Board members did not take immediate action during the meeting; the comments were heard during the public comment portion of the agenda and no vote or staff directive on the matter was recorded.

Ending: The board closed public comment and moved on to other agenda items. Parents and students who addressed the board asked for follow‑up from staff and said they planned to continue working with administrators to resolve eligibility questions.