NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — There's debate over whether families who are choosing to homeschool their children should be allowed to participate in public school sports. A co-sponosored bill from Republican State Senator George Borello could make this a reality.
Senator George Borello
Borello is co-sponsoring S1010, a bill that would allow "school districts to permit home-schooled students to participate in district interscholastic sports."
"Keep in mind that these families you know they're paying property taxes, school taxes which are very high in New York State and they have every right to have their children participate in sports," he said.
Borello said more than 30 states allow this, and New York should be one of them.
"As long as they can attend practices and so forth there's no reason why they shouldn't be allowed," he added.
Borello said his bill is active through next year but said it will be reintroduced in the next session. He said he will continue to push with the hope that the governor will support this too
Amy Ribaudo
Ribaudo is a mom of three. Her kids, in third, fifth and seventh grade, are all home-schooled students.
"My daughter that's going into seventh grade has played sports throughout her whole elementary career," she said.
Ribaudo said now that her daughter is older none of the community sports programs are being offered to kids her age.
"It's super sad because one she's actually good at it. She loves it. She has a passion for it. And I just don't see the season why she couldn't play for a public school," she said, "I think it would be wonderful. They could get scholarships for sports to get into college and things like that. Developing friendships, developing skills."
Ribaudo hopes change will come soon for her daughter.
"Essentially her sports career is done until we can fight to try to make change happen," she said.
Niagara Falls City School District
Superintendent Mark Laurrie is against the bill.
"You make a decision to homeschool your child — a decision that's respected with that comes the understanding that you cannot participate in the school drama production or the softball team or the swim team," Laurrie said.
Laurrie said if the merge were allowed, it wouldn't be a fair playing field for Niagara Falls athletes.
"It's just merging two worlds that I don't think need to be merged in this world. and I think truly that the choice you make with home instructing your child is one that forfeits the rights to the public access of public school programs," he added.
In New York State, the Department of Education says in order to enroll in an 'interscholastic sport,' students must be enrolled in a public school.
"Then they have to be taking four classes of physical education in school. They have to pass tests. They have to take the regents exams. They get a diploma, so it's really more than a simple let them play," he added.
For assistant women's basketball coach Jay Scarborough, he said he sees both sides.
"Why not give the opportunity — I'm all for opportunities but also have to understand that it can take away from the kids that go to school," he said.
Student athlete Aaliyah Nalles said she would not mind the merge at all.
"For them to join sports it shows that even if you come from a different situation you can still be a normal kid you don't have to hide from the public," Nalles said.
