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Mississippi Lawmakers Consider 'Tim Tebow' Act Allowing Homeschoolers to Play School Sports

  • Carrie Dedrick Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Jan 23, 2015

Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow homeschool students to participate in public school sports. Sen. Joey Fillingane proposed the bill nicknamed the “Tim Tebow Act” for the former NFL player and sports analyst who was homeschooled as a child. 

The bill, which is officially called SB 2329 reads, “A student enrolled in a homeschool is eligible to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities sponsored by or engaged in by the public school to which the student would be assigned according to district school board attendance policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant to district open enrollment provisions.” 

According to Christian News Network, over 25 states currently allow homeschool students to participate in public school sports while 21 states ban homeschoolers from playing. 

Mississippi parent Brent Butler told reporters this week that he believes the bill is important because athletic opportunities for homeschoolers are lacking in their teenage years.

Tebow, a Florida native, was granted permission to play football for a Christian school and then a public school before playing for the University of Florida, and ultimately, the NFL. A similar bill had been passed in Florida in 1996 allowing homeschool children to participate in public school sports. 

Publication date: January 23, 2015