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Oregon homeschool families alerted OCEANetwork about an illegal request for weekly grade checks that the Central Curry School District was making of homeschooled athletes.
OCEANetwork first reached out to the School District Superintendent. When we did not receive a reply, we contacted the Executive Director of the Oregon Student Activities Association. See the email exchange below:
From: Legislative Coordinator, Oregon Christian Home Education Association Network (OCEANetwork)
To: Superintendent, Central Curry School District
I need to inform you that Central Curry School District is acting in violation of Oregon State Statutes.
The District this last week sent home this notification to homeschooled students participating in Oregon School Activities Association activities.
“HOME SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETES ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS:
“Home school athletes must submit weekly grade reports to the school office, preferably by email to acarter@ccsd.k12.or.us, no later than 3 pm the business day before grade check reports are generated. These grade checks must include letter grades and/or a calculated GPA. If a grade check is not submitted for the week by the provided time frame, the student will be considered on academic probation; if it happens again for a consecutive week, the student will be placed on academic suspension and unable to participate in contests.”
This conflicts with Oregon State Statutes (ORS 339.460 (1) (c) and ORS 339.460 (2) (b) (A)):
“A school district may not deny a… homeschooled student… the opportunity to participate in all interscholastic activities available in the school district within the attendance boundaries in which the… homeschooled student… resides if the student fulfills the following conditions, as applicable:
“For a homeschooled student… the student must demonstrate academic eligibility by meeting one of these requirements:
“Achieve a minimum score that places the student at or above the 23rd percentile, based on national norms, on an examination from the list the State Board of Education adopts under ORS 339.035….”
This statute wording does not leave room for weekly grade checks.
OCEANetwork respectfully requests that your District stop this illegal practice.
Please let me know what path you are taking forward on this matter.
From: Legislative Coordinator, Oregon Christian Home Education Association Network (OCEANetwork)
To: Executive Director, Oregon Student Activities Association
I would like your help.
Central Curry School District has started requiring homeschooled athletes to submit weekly grade checks to maintain eligibility.
As you may know, this violates Oregon Statutes and Administrative Rules: ORS 339.460 (2) (https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors339.html) and OAR 581-021-0033 (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action?ruleVrsnRsn=144593).
Both are clear that schools may not deny a homeschooled athlete access to interscholastic activities if the student either passes a standardized test for the previous year or provides a portfolio acceptable to the school.
There is no room legally for weekly reports. It is all yearly.
I sent an email to the Central Curry Superintendent asking him to stop this practice. I have not heard back.
Would you please look into this?
From: Executive Director, Oregon Student Activities Association
To: Legislative Coordinator, Oregon Christian Home Education Association Network (OCEANetwork)
Thanks Rodger. I reached out to the Athletic Director at Gold Beach and clarified the academic requirements allowed per the ORS.
The result is that Oregon homeschool families should no longer receive letters from Central Curry School District requesting weekly grade checks.
As always, if your family is contacted by a school district or ESD and is asked for information not required by homeschool law, please contact OCEANetwork.
Rodger Williams
OCEANetwork Freedom Watch Team
If you have questions about this alert, please contact OCEANetwork here so we can forward it on to our Freedom Watch Team.
Sign up for emails from OCEANetwork to stay up-to-date on this and other issues impacting the freedoms of homeschooling parents in Oregon.
You can help OCEANetwork protect the rights of Oregon families to do what is best for their children by becoming an OCEANetwork Supporting Member.