HB 350 — AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO HOMESCHOOL STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

Neal HOUSE& OFSen. REPRESENTATIVES 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE AMENDMENT NO.

1Hocker TOReps. HOUSE BILL NO.

350Morrison, AMENDYearick, HouseLambert, BillShupe, No.Hilovsky, Jones Giltner, Snyder-Hall;

350Sens. on line 35 by deleting "and " after the comma and before "vocational" therein.

FURTHERPettyjohn, AMENDWilson, HouseBrown, BillBuckson, No.Cruce, Hansen, Hoffner, Huxtable, Lawson, Lockman, Mantzavinos, Paradee, Pinkney, Poore, Richardson, Seigfried, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend, Walsh HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE BILL NO.

350 onAN lineACT 36TO byAMEND insertingTHE "andLAWS representativesOF ofDELAWARE theRELATING DelawareTO homeschoolingHOMESCHOOL community,STUDENT includingPARTICIPATION Tri-StateIN Homeschool,EXTRACURRICULAR Inc.,ACTIVITIES. Delaware First State Homeschool, and the MidAtlantic African American Homeschooling Cooperative, " after the comma and before "make" therein.

SYNOPSISWHEREAS, ThisDelaware Amendmentoffers addsfamilies thateducational thechoice, Department of Education shall collaborate with representatives of the Delaware homeschooling community, including Tri-State Homeschool, Inc., Delaware First State Homeschool, and the MidAtlanticchoice Africanto Americanhomeschool Homeschoolingtheir Cooperative.students;

and WHEREAS, as of October 2023, 4,466 Delaware students were homeschooled, according to the Department of Education’s Nonpublic School Report;

and WHEREAS, according to the United States Census Bureau, participation in extracurricular activities can help students develop social skills, boost self-esteem and resiliency, and lower levels of risky behaviors;

and WHEREAS, when a non-participating student participates in extracurricular activities or sports, they show better mental health outcomes over time facilitated by high peer belongingness, according to an article in the journal, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living;

and WHEREAS, homeschool students would also benefit from the social and emotional development derived from participating in extracurricular activities, including sports;

and WHEREAS, extracurricular activities can be prohibitively expensive to a parent seeking to enroll their student through the private market;

and WHEREAS, there may be an opportunity to incorporate homeschool students into the extracurricular activities offered by what would be that student’s school of residence if that student were a public school student;

and WHEREAS, there may be an opportunity to incorporate homeschool students into the extracurricular activities offered by charter schools or vocational-technical school districts;

and WHEREAS, homeschool integration into extracurricular activities should be contingent on there being available capacity in the public school and, if applicable, the same tryouts and proof of ability required of public school students;

and WHEREAS, other states have utilized a variety of methods to incorporate homeschool students into extracurricular activities offered through the public school system;

and DLS :

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04/08/2026 02:55 PM WHEREAS, the General Assembly intends to use the expertise of the Department and our State’s school districts, charter schools, and vocational-technical school districts to gather information about the inclusion of homeschool students in extracurricular activities and whether and how that might be achieved, such as through a pilot program.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1.

For purposes of this Act:

(1) “Department” means the Department of Education.

(2) “Extracurricular activity” means a public school-sponsored activity in which students take part on a voluntary basis.

“Extracurricular activity” includes preparation for and involvement in public performances, contests, athletic competitions, displays, and club activities.

(3) “Homeschool” means as defined in § 2703A of Title 14 of the Delaware Code.

(4) “School of residence” means a student’s assigned public school or program within the school district in which the student would be enrolled based on the student’s place of residence.

Section 2.

The Department shall, in collaboration with school districts, charter schools, and vocational-technical school districts, make findings and recommendations about all the following:

(1) The advisability of developing a pilot program regarding homeschool students’ participation in extracurricular activities in those students’ schools of residence or within a charter school or vocational-technical school.

(2) The feasibility of allowing homeschool students to join extracurricular activities within each student’s school of residence.

(3) The feasibility of allowing homeschool students to join extracurricular activities within a charter school or a vocational-technical school district school.

(4) Whether there are extracurricular activities or categories of extracurricular activities into which it would not be feasible or advisable to integrate homeschool students.

(5) Different considerations that might need to be undertaken about homeschool student participation in extracurricular activities, including considerations that relate to similar participation by students in other nonpublic school settings, depending on the category of extracurricular activity.

(6) Any issues associated with integrating homeschool students into extracurricular activities on the same basis as students enrolled in public school, and recommendations on how to address the issues.

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04/21/202604/08/2026 09:4702:55 AMPM 3021530096(7) Any impact on public school students, in general, and any impact on those public school students who are participating in extracurricular activities, if homeschool students are integrated into extracurricular activities.

(8) Any costs of allowing homeschool students to participate in extracurricular activities, and methods for covering those costs, if any.