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Homeschool parent urges Brenham ISD to allow homeschooled students to play sports
Summary
At a Brenham ISD board meeting, Catherine McHarg asked the board to permit homeschooled students to participate in public‑school extracurricular activities under recent state law changes, citing parity with district taxpayers and a state stipend for participating non‑enrolled students.
Catherine McHarg, a Brenham resident and parent of eight, told the school board she had been told her children could not play public school sports after moving to the area and asked the board to consider allowing homeschool students to join district teams under recently changed state law.
"It's my understanding that now there's a stipend that comes per student that goes to you if they are allowed to play and selected on a team," McHarg said, later adding, "My neighbor pays the same tax I do. His son can play football, mine can't." She asked the board to consider parity for homeschooling families.
District staff and trustees discussed the legislative context and practical requirements. A staff member said House Bill 3708 "allots a $1,500 amount per private or homeschool student participating in UIL activities," and clarified the stipend is per activity per student. Staff also noted that districts do not generate ADA for non‑enrolled participants and that some UIL/TEA eligibility rules (such as assessment requirements) apply.
Board members raised questions about oversight, eligibility and administrative burden: whether non‑enrolled students can attend during school curriculum time, how to enforce "no pass, no play," liability and whether the $1,500 stipend would cover transportation, supervision and other added costs.
The board did not make an immediate policy decision during McHarg's comment; the item was discussed in depth later in the meeting and the board ultimately adopted revised local policy language opting out of allowing private and homeschool students to participate (see related article).
