Unfair policies shut kids out of extracurriculars

Illinois law is inclusive, but some districts aren’t. Find out where yours lands.

More than 160 school districts in Illinois lock kids out of participating in school activities simply because they aren’t full-time public school students.

It’s not the law. The Illinois School Code allows school boards to make district activities inclusive for all resident students.

But those 165 districts completely exclude part-time students. A student could attend school five or more hours a day and still not get to compete with the marching band on Saturdays.

Some districts’ policies would be comical if they weren’t so unfair. Delavan CUSD 703 in Central Illinois prohibits part-time students from participating in district activities.

But the district includes an exception for fifth-year students. That means the student didn’t graduate from high school in four years, a questionable situation for extracurricular eligibility.

Even some districts that do allow part-time students to participate have unfeasible restrictions. Many require a half day of attendance or more.

Grayslake CHSD 127 requires students be enrolled in at least five courses a semester. It also prohibits students in parochial school from participating in IHSA activities, regardless of the number of hours they attend the public school.

Targeting students based on religion raises a constitutional issue.

These exclusive policies are unfair to the taxpayers funding district activities.

Allowing resident students to participate in district activities makes sense. Illinois families pay among the highest property taxes in the nation, with most of the money going to local school districts. Families’ school-aged children should get to enjoy the activities their districts offer, even if they don’t attend those schools full-time.

The good news: Districts excluding kids are in the minority. More than 300 Illinois school districts with high schools allow resident students to participate in extracurriculars, according to an Illinois Policy Institute analysis.

At least 64 of those have no minimum attendance requirement. Many others require attending just one or two courses.

Kids aren’t one-size-fits-all. Neither are their educational needs. Whether it be for academic, health, religious or other reasons, thousands of parents throughout Illinois have decided that a full day of public school, five days a week, doesn’t work for their children.

Want to learn more? Here are five reasons school boards should make their activities open for all students residing in the district.

For help in creating a policy your school district can use, check out our handbook Building Better Schools: A Pro-Student, Pro-Community Guide for Illinois School Boards.