Homeschooled and Virtual Kansas Students in School Activities Up 154%
Local Homeschool News: Kansas
More Kansas homeschoolers are joining school teams and clubs. A legislative audit found that participation by virtual and non-public school students in public school activities jumped 154 percent in three years (Kansas Reflector).
A 2023 law requires districts to let homeschooled and virtual middle and high school students join activities overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Those include most sports, plus music, drama, cheer, and speech and debate.
The audit counted 514 such students in 2023-24 and 1,307 in 2025-26. In the latest year, 1,510 students applied. Some were turned down for reasons such as not passing five classes the prior semester, living outside the district, or signing up for the wrong sport.
Auditor Andy Brienzo reviewed 20 districts. One lacked a written policy but agreed to adopt one, and four agreed to update handbooks. Sixteen also let these students join non-KSHSAA activities such as FFA.
The numbers show the law is working for families. If your child wants to play, ask your district for its policy early. For more on homeschooling in the state, see our Kansas Homeschool Laws page and our Kansas Pending Homeschool Legislation post.
Sources:
- Morgan Chilson, “Virtual, home-schooled Kansas students enrolled in public school activities up 154%,” Kansas Reflector, July 9, 2026