53G-6-705. Online students’ participation in extracurricular activities.
| (1) |
As used in this section:
Terms Used In Utah Code 53G-6-705- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
| (a) |
“Association” means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101. |
| (b) |
“Extracurricular activity” means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-501. |
| (c) |
“Initial establishment of eligibility requirements” means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-6-703. |
| (d) |
“Online education” means the use of information and communication technologies to deliver educational opportunities to a student in a location other than a school. |
| (e) |
“Online student” means a student who:
| (i) |
participates in an online education program sponsored or supported by the state board, a school district, or a charter school; and |
| (ii) |
generates funding for the school district or the school pursuant to Subsection 53F-2-102(4) and rules of the state board. |
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| (2) |
An online student is eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity at:
| (a) |
the school with attendance boundaries within which the student’s custodial parent resides, if, for an interscholastic competition of athletic teams, the student did not initially establish the student’s eligibility at another public school in grade 9 or 10; or |
| (b) |
the public school from which the student withdrew for the purpose of participating in an online education program. |
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| (3) |
A public school other than a school described in Subsection (2) may allow an online student to participate in an extracurricular activity that the public school sponsors and supports if:
| (a) |
for interschool competitions of athletic teams sponsored and supported by a public school, the online school student meets the initial establishment of eligibility requirements; |
| (b) |
for interschool contests or competitions for music, drama, or forensic groups or teams sponsored and supported by a public school, the online school student meets the entry requirements for participation; |
| (c) |
the online school student meets the eligibility requirements under this section; and |
| (d) |
the online school student meets the enrollment requirements for public school in accordance with 4. |
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| (4) |
An online student is eligible to participate in an extracurricular activity at a public school consistent with eligibility standards as applied to full-time students of the public school. |
| (5) |
A school district or public school may not impose additional requirements on an online school student to participate in an extracurricular activity that are not imposed on full-time students of the public school. |
| (6) |
| (a) |
The state board shall make rules establishing fees for an online school student’s participation in an extracurricular activity at school district schools. |
| (b) |
The rules shall provide that:
| (i) |
online school students pay the same fees as other students to participate in an extracurricular activity; |
| (ii) |
online school students are eligible for fee waivers pursuant to Section 53G-7-504; |
| (iii) |
for each online school student who participates in an extracurricular activity at a school district school, the online school shall pay a share of the school district’s costs for the extracurricular activity; and |
| (iv) |
an online school’s share of the costs of an extracurricular activity shall reflect state and local tax revenues expended, except capital facilities expenditures, for an extracurricular activity in a school district or school divided by total student enrollment of the school district or school. |
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| (c) |
In determining an online school’s share of the costs of an extracurricular activity under Subsections (6)(b)(iii) and (iv), the state board may establish uniform fees statewide based on average costs statewide or average costs within a sample of school districts. |
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| (7) |
When selection to participate in an extracurricular activity at a public school is made on a competitive basis, an online student is eligible to try out for and participate in the activity as provided in this section. |
Amended by Chapter 340, 2023 General Session
