The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Allows Homeschooled and Private School Students to Join Public School Extracurriculars
Last action · February 17, 2026: To House EducationSponsor: Eric Brooks
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
Delegate Brooks introduced House Bill 5647 to permit homeschooled, Hope Scholarship, and nonpublic school students to participate in extracurricular activities at member schools of the if their own schools do not offer those activities.
Changes extracurricular eligibility for non-publicly enrolled students across West Virginia, allowing them to try out for sports and school groups at local public or participating member schools while meeting specific academic, physical, and fee requirements.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Homeschooled students
Students receiving home instruction gain eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities at member schools of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission under specified conditions.
Hope Scholarship students
Students participating in the Hope Scholarship Program become eligible to join extracurricular activities at member schools if their school does not offer them.
Nonpublic school students
Students enrolled in private, parochial, or church schools gain the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities at member schools under set academic and registration rules.
West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission member schools
Member schools must permit eligible non-enrolled students to try out and participate in extracurricular activities provided they meet commission and board standards.
Key Facts
- Permits homeschooled, Hope Scholarship, and nonpublic school students to participate in extracurricular activities at member schools of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission if their own schools do not sponsor the activity.
- Participation requires registering an intention with the county school board where the student resides, paying the same fees as other students, and complying with disciplinary rules.
- Students must adhere to the same academic standards as team participants, confirmed via transcripts, standardized tests, or portfolios.
- Students must comply with the same physical examination, immunization, and residency requirements as other students in the school.
Show all 6 facts
- District school board insurance for extracurricular participants must cover participating students under this act, with students paying any additional premium.
- Elementary or middle school students in private, parochial, church, nonpublic, charter, home instruction, Hope Scholarship, microschool, or learning pod programs are eligible for all extracurricular activities in their resident district without needing to register an intention to participate as a school representative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to participate in extracurricular activities under this bill?
What academic documentation must a participating student provide?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 17, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Education
- Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 17, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Education
- Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools