Pursuant to Section 20-2-319.6 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, home schooled students are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and interscholastic activities in their districts if the following seven requirements are met:

  1. At least 30 days before the first school day of the semester in which a home study student will participate in activities, the parent or guardian of the student notifies the district that the student will be participating, provides a copy of the student’s most recent annual progress report, and provides “written verification” that the student is “receiving a passing grade in each home study program course, is maintaining satisfactory progress toward advancement, and meets the requirements for participation in the specified extracurricular or interscholastic activity,” O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(c)(1);
  2. For each semester in which the home study student participates in an extracurricular or interscholastic activity, the home study student enrolls in and attempts to complete one “qualifying course,” which can be a class taken at a virtual instruction program, a dual-enrollment college course, or an on-site course that is required for participation in an athletic program, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(c)(2);
  3. The student “meets established age, academic, behavioral, conduct, disciplinary, residence, zoning, and other rules and requirements applicable to all students for participation in the specified extracurricular or interscholastic activity and provides any supporting documentation required by the resident school,” O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(c)(3);
  4. The student “abides by the same student code of conduct and disciplinary measures and transportation policies as students enrolled at the resident school who are participating in the same extracurricular or interscholastic activity as the home study student,” O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(c)(4);
  5. The student “completes the tryout process or the equivalent for participation in the specified extracurricular or interscholastic activity applicable to all students for participation in the specified extracurricular or interscholastic activity and provides any supporting documentation required by the resident school,” O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(c)(5); and
  6. If the student wishes to participate in an extracurricular or interscholastic activity which involves a competitive selection process, the home study student must be selected, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(c)(6)
  7. If the student is withdrawn from a public school, they must have been declared as a homeschool student for at least 12 months, because “a student who withdraws from a public school to participate in a home study program shall be ineligible for participation in any extracurricular or interscholastic activity for 12 months from the date of the declaration of intent to utilize a home study program”. O.C.G.A. §20-2-319.6(d).

If these requirements are met, the school district “shall not deny a home study student the opportunity to try out and participate if selected in any extracurricular or interscholastic activities available at the resident school or in the resident school system,” O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6(f).

To read the full Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 20-2-319.6, click here.

Things to keep in mind:

Public school access includes participation in public school classes, sports, activities, etc.

States use a unique vocabulary in this area: “extracurricular,” “cocurricular,” “curricular,” “interscholastic,” “program,” “activity,” etc. Care should be taken to distinguish one from another. When a state defines a word, it is important.

While athletic association rules are not “law,” public schools are generally constrained to operate within them, or their teams could be disqualified. We therefore refer to association rules of particular importance in a number of entries.

We strive toward keeping this information 100% up to date in this rapidly changing area of the law. However, this post should not be considered authoritative because of the possibility of unobserved changes in association rules, statutes, regulations, or case decisions, and because of lag time between changes and the publication of updates. 

Please note: The information on this page has been reviewed by an attorney, but it should not be taken as legal advice specific to your individual situation.