Parents Say Middletown Won't Let Homeschooled Kids Join Sports Teams

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown parents are currently petitioning the school district to allow homeschooled children and teens join public school sports teams.

At the most recent school board meeting, July 26, multiple mothers stood up and implored the Middletown school board to change its existing policy, and let homeschool kids play.

In response, the Middletown school board is considering their request and the issue is currently in committee, said BOE President Frank Capone Thursday.

However, that was all he would say publicly on the topic.

Twelve years ago, in 2011, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) made the landmark decision that students who are homeschooled would be allowed to join sports teams and clubs in public schools. Prior to that ruling, they were excluded statewide.

However, NJ school districts are not required to let homeschooled kids join teams. The NJSIAA leaves it up to individual school districts to decide whether they want to allow homeschoolers to play.

The Middletown school district has never adopted the policy.

Why? There are concerns that students who are homeschooled do not meet the GPA requirements to play sports. Homeschooled students do not have to submit grades or undergo standardized testing like public school student-athletes do. Also, although homeschool parents pay taxes, the Middletown school district is given state funding dependent on the number of students enrolled in school. Part of state funding pays for sports teams and extracurriculars.

Nearly all the homeschool moms who spoke on July 26 said Middletown is a great place to live, but called Middletown's refusal to let their kids play "outdated." They said their children have been turned away from after-school clubs, teams at Bayshore, running clubs, etc.

One sixth grade boy who is homeschooled said he was turned away from a running club.

"I would like the opportunity to join clubs and sports with my friends and make new friends," he said, to claps from the crowd.

Middletown is a lone holdout: Nearly all neighboring towns, such as Holmdel, Marlboro, Wall Twp., Aberdeen, Rumson and Little Silver, allow homeschooled children and teens to play on school sports teams.

Homeschooling has also exploded in America: The number of Americans who choose to homeschool their kids increased by 75 percent between 1999 and 2019, to more than 2 million kids who are homeschooled. And that was before the pandemic.

One former River Plaza mom of four said she decided to homeschool her children during the pandemic. Three years later, the family is still doing it.

"As the years passed we realized homeschooling is a good fit," said the mother, who withdrew her kids in 2020. "They should be allowed to try out for teams and clubs."

The moms say they've reached out to Mayor Tony Perry, this area's state Sen. Declan O'Scanlon and others to try and get the Middletown school district to change its policy and allow homeschooled kids to play sports. If the school board changes its mind on the policy, it will be brought up for a vote at the next meeting, Aug. 30, or later.

The most recent Middletown BOE meeting, held July 26. The homeschool moms start speaking during the public comment portion, 2:07:11: