Spring ISD board adopts first-reading policy revisions to opt out of homeschool extracurricular participation under Senate Bill 401

SPRING ISD — The Spring ISD Board of Trustees on July 22 approved a first-reading interim revision to district policies FD(Local) and FM(Local) to implement the district's decision to opt out of allowing homeschooled and most private-school students to participate in district extracurricular activities under Senate Bill 401.

The board voted without recorded opposing votes after hearing recommendations from the district's athletic and performing-visual-arts staff and legal counsel. Trustee Adams moved approval; Trustee McDaniel seconded. The motion carried unanimously, with the transcript noting the vote as unanimous but not providing an individual tally.

The revisions respond to Senate Bill 401, a change in state law that requires school districts each year to choose whether to allow or prohibit non-enrolled students to take part in extracurricular activities. Daryl Oliver, Spring ISD athletic director, told the board that "there is no benefit to Spring ISD for having homeschool athletes participate" and recommended the district opt out, citing potential enrollment loss and administrative burdens such as District Executive Committee hearings for eligibility disputes. David Lanterby, speaking for the district's performing and visual arts (PVA) programs, said most UIL PVA participation now requires enrollment in a state-approved course and that homeschool students typically would not be enrolled in such courses. "Our recommendation would also be the same as athletics for this," Lanterby said.

General counsel Jody Zinneman clarified that the interim revisions in the board book add language to FD(Local) and FM(Local) stating the district's policy not to allow students who are not enrolled in the district to participate in curricular or extracurricular activities, "except as required by law." Zinneman and other staff explained that the exception mainly reflects federally required child-find obligations for special education: a homeschool student who needs related services (for example, speech therapy) may be eligible for certain services even if not enrolled in district membership.

Board members discussed the effective dates and submission deadlines. Staff said districts must decide by Sept. 1, 2025, for this school year and by Aug. 1 in subsequent years; UIL has set portal deadlines that schools use to register their opt-in/opt-out choice. Trustees also confirmed the administration would table three other policy revisions related to recent legislative changes (EFB(Local), FD(Local) additional audit revisions, and one other FM-related local policy) for the August board meeting and proceed only with the FM/FD changes tied to Senate Bill 401 at this special meeting.

Trustee Adams presented the motion as follows: "I move that the board of trustees approve and adopt the first reading of recommended interim revisions of board policies, FD Local and FM Local as presented by the administration." Trustee McDaniel seconded. After no further discussion, the board voted and the president said, "That motion carries unanimously." The transcript does not list individual roll-call votes or a numeric tally.

The board then recessed to a closed meeting under the Texas Open Meetings Act and later reconvened and adjourned the special call meeting at 10:04 p.m.

The policy change directs the administration to indicate the district's opt-out status in the UIL portal by the applicable deadline and leaves in place limited legal exceptions for services required by federal law.