At a Tuesday hearing, Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, presented a bill to smooth the way for home schoolers' participation in public school extracurricular activities. SB72, however, raised the potential for other inequities, and for loopholes that could enable student athletes to skirt academic requirements.

It advanced to the Senate floor on 3-2 vote, but the discussion isn't over.

Madsen's bill would allow a home-schooled student to participate in a public school's extracurricular activities if the school's residency requirements are met and if the student's parents file a signed statement ensuring the student will attend home school.

The current policy, developed by UHSAA and the Utah State Board of Education, does not require any seat time in public schools, but says home-schooled students should show academic progress consistent with expectations for public school students. It lets districts decide how such judgments are made, said Ray Timothy, associate state school superintendant.

Madsen's bill removes the state school board's ability to set any academic standards for home-schooled students.

"Home schooling is about setting your own standards," Madsen said. "It's a parent-directed process."

Sen. Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake City, said the bill creates inequity for public school students who must present audited attendance records and meet specific grade standards to participate in sports. Parents could use Madsen's legislation as a loophole, taking athletes with failing grades out of school to preserve their eligibility for sports teams, she said.

Gail Miller, a Salt Lake City mother whose home-schooled son, Zane, was denied a spot on East High School's varsity baseball team, said families who school children at home are reliable.

"It's annoying to be treated and talked about as if you are trying to get around the rules," she said.