Should home school students in Stafford County be allowed to use the same public facilities as those in public school?
That’s what county leaders are trying to decide, and they’ve tasked the county’s parks and recreation department to come up with a plan that would provide guidelines for such a program.
The county says it wants homeschoolers to form a non-profit organization to obtain liability insurance. They also seek regular background checks performed on anyone who would come into a public parks facility to work as a coach or volunteer.
The county would also charge a fee for each homeschooled student to use the faculties.
The details of the agreement are still being worked out, says county spokeswoman Shannon Eubanks. A final deal is expected by September, and, at that time, homeschoolers would be able to take the field.
Members of the county’s Board of Supervisors in November of last year met with parents of home school children who said they wanted their children to be able to use county parks and indoor centers for sports activities. Those leaders then sent the request to the Community and Economic Development Committee, which, in turn, tasked the parks department which charting a path forward for the agreement.
Right now, the county is working to determine just how many home school students could potentially take advantage of the program.
