Virtual students who don’t attend Olathe Public Schools but live in the district can now participate in the school system’s extracurricular activities.
The Olathe Board of Education on Thursday approved adding virtual learners to the list of non-Olathe school students — alongside home-school, parochial and private school students — who are allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.
Students must live within district boundaries and be making progress in their coursework, which is confirmed by the student’s guardian in a Kansas State High School Activities Association application process.
The measurement is applied to the student’s current course work, said Matt Johnson, director of athletics, activities and student transportation.
“I wondered if you clarify because I know there are KSHSAA eligibility requirements that are very specific — passing X number of courses each semester — whereas the language for the virtual student says, ‘making progress,’ or ‘making significant progress,’” said Stacey Yurkovich, president of the Olathe Board of Education. “How is that clarified, identified, determined?”
“KSHSAA contacts them and they simply verify with the parent that the student is making progress toward the next grade, the next level,” Johnson said. “There’s not really a check to figure that out.”
State law requires school districts to make these changes, Johnson said.
“I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say that that’s one of our long-standing legislative priorities typically, that idea of local control by locally elected boards of education,” said Superintendent Brent Yeager.
KSHSAA-sponsored activities include the following: Basketball, bowling, cross country, debate, drama, football, golf, gymnastics, music, piano, scholars bowl, soccer, speech, spirit activities, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling.
About a dozen non-Olathe school students participated in Olathe school sports last year, most of them home-schooled, Johnson said.
“I know of at least two students last year who participated in athletics as a home-school student who had such a great experience they enrolled in Olathe schools for this year,” Johnson said.
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