(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared the Iowa House would mandate that Iowa’s public school districts let local private school students join the district’s sports teams if the private school isn’t offering the sport.
Representative Henry Stone, a Republican from Forest City, says kids should be allowed to compete in sports, whether they’re enrolled in a public or a private school. He says some public school districts ended longstanding athletic agreements with non-public schools after the state began financing Education Savings Accounts for private school expenses. The bill passed with the support of 63 House Republicans.
The 33 Democrats in the House opposed it. Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, says there’s no leeway in the bill, so public schools with sports teams at capacity may be forced to hire more coaches, find more spaces for practices and games or even add more teams.
