How to Advocate for Homeschool Student Participation in UIL Sports and Activities Under Texas SB 401
As many of you know, if you follow me on social media, I homeschool my kids. It's a decision our family made intentionally, and one that allows us to shape our days, our learning, and our time together in a way that works best for us.
Recently, a topic near and dear to our family has come up in our local school district due to a legislative change in Texas. Senate Bill 401 now allows homeschool students to participate in UIL extracurriculars—unless their home district chooses to opt out. This has sparked a lot of conversation in our community, and I’ve had the chance to listen, reflect, and share a few thoughts.
Whether you’re a homeschool family like us or simply a parent who values opportunities for all students, I wanted to offer a resource you can reference or even use directly if your own district is navigating this same conversation. Below is the email I sent to our local school board, written respectfully and with the hope of building understanding and support.
Feel free to personalize and share as needed. Sometimes all it takes is one voice to open the door for others.
Subject: Consideration for UIL Participation by Homeschool Students under SB 401
Dear ISD Board Members and staff,
I hope this message finds you well.
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the time and effort you dedicate to our district. I know the decisions placed before you are not easy, and I appreciate the thoughtful discussion I heard during the July 22nd school board meeting regarding UIL participation by homeschool students under the new opt-out provision of Senate Bill 401.
As someone who has worn many hats in public education including teacher, coach, administrator, policy contributor, and committee member, I deeply value both the mission of public schools and the broader communities they serve. I am also a parent of two students here in the ISD. We have coached, cheered, and stood shoulder to shoulder with other families in this district. Although we have chosen to homeschool our kids for the foreseeable future, we remain just as connected and invested in this district as ever in terms of finances, relationships, and civic engagement.
I wanted to share a few thoughts with you, not just as a homeschool parent but as someone who genuinely wants to see our district’s programs, culture, and community grow stronger.
We’re part of this community too.
Homeschool families in our district are not outsiders. We are your neighbors. We pay taxes here. Any of us vote on every bond and board election. We show up to games, volunteer at events, and support our schools however we can. And while our kids may not currently be enrolled, we are very much part of this district. To exclude students from UIL activities simply based on enrollment status, when they meet the residency and academic criteria outlined in SB 401, feels out of step with the inclusive values we often talk about as a community.
Academic equity already varies, and that's okay.
There was concern expressed about maintaining consistent academic standards. I understand that. But as educators, we also know that no two learners are the same. Within the classroom, some students are on-level, some are advanced, and many receive accommodations or modifications based on their individual needs. Yet all of them are given the opportunity to participate. Why should homeschool students be held to a different bar?
Speaking only for our family, I can confidently say our academic expectations are rigorous, and the other homeschool families I know in our town would say the same. We are not trying to lower the bar. We are asking to meet it.
This is how the real world works.
Another concern was that homeschool students might displace enrolled students on teams. And I get that it stings. But it is also reality. In athletics, as in life, people get beat out. The lesson is not how to avoid competition. It is how to handle it, grow through it, and come back stronger. As a former coach, I never believed in holding a roster spot for someone based on anything other than performance, character, and work ethic. If a homeschool student earns a spot, they have earned it.
Culture is built on shared purpose, not shared class schedules.
Some have raised concerns that homeschool students cannot contribute to team culture the same way enrolled students can. But from my own experience, both as an athlete and a parent, culture is shaped by showing up, working hard, and striving together toward a goal. My daughter was not in class with most of her teammates last year, and it did not matter. When they hit the court, they played as one. And when I played college sports, none of us had the same class schedules either. That never got in the way of our commitment to the team.
Precedent already exists for shared access.
This idea that students must be “all in or all out” to benefit from any district resources doesn’t reflect the way our public school system already functions. There are multiple examples, both in law and in current district practices, that show how partial access is granted in appropriate contexts.
For instance, many students across Texas receive credit for off-campus PE programs. These students train with private instructors or clubs outside of school hours and still receive school credit without participating in a traditional PE class. The school evaluates the program, confirms alignment with TEKS, and honors the credit even though the instruction happens entirely off-site. That’s shared access.
Another clear example is found in federal law. Under IDEA, public school districts are required to provide speech therapy, evaluations, and certain special education services to eligible private and homeschool students residing within district boundaries even if those students are not enrolled in the public school system. Again, this is a case where the student is not “fully enrolled,” but they still qualify for certain supports because they are part of the larger district population.
If our schools already acknowledge that families can choose alternative academic paths while still qualifying for limited services or participation, then UIL extracurriculars under SB 401 are not an exception but a natural extension of existing policies. This isn’t about giving homeschool students more. It’s about treating them with the same consideration and inclusion that’s already reflected in other parts of public education.
And yes, full transparency, my own kids would likely participate.
I say this openly because I believe in being honest. My family would be grateful for the opportunity. But even before we began homeschooling, I supported this kind of inclusion. I have always believed that when we open the doors to more students, whether they are enrolled full time or not, we strengthen our programs, not weaken them.
A local policy affects neighboring outcomes.
One other thing worth considering: if AISD opts out, homeschool families are still allowed to participate in UIL in a neighboring district that did not opt out. While this is something our family could explore if needed, I would strongly prefer for my kids to represent their hometown and play for their friends and neighbors, not put on a rival jersey to compete against them. I imagine many families feel the same. Choosing to opt out could unintentionally send some of our most invested families and talented students into neighboring programs, which benefits other districts more than our own.
At the end of the day, I know this is not a simple decision. But I hope that as you consider what is best for the school district, you will view homeschool families not as a complication but as an opportunity. We are eager to contribute. We care deeply about this community. And we want to be part of what makes the community even better.
Thank you again for your service, and for considering this perspective with an open mind. No matter the outcome, we will continue to support our school district.
Warmly,
Ashley
Resident, Parent, Educator
