Mississippi House passes the “Tim Tebow Act”
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Mississippi House of Representatives recently passed the “Tim Tebow Act.”
It allows homeschooled students to participate in public school sports and other extracurricular activities.
Other states have passed similar legislation in honor of the bill’s namesake, Tim Tebow, the Heisman-winning quarterback from Florida who was homeschooled.
Kellie Atkinson, a mother of three, has been homeschooling her teenage boys for more than ten years.
She was delighted to hear that the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill that could allow her children to play sports in public schools.
“I feel like the bill passing is going to benefit not only our homeschool students, but it’s going to benefit students across the state. It’s going to benefit our school districts,” said Atkinson.
Atkinson said it can be challenging for homeschool students to form their own teams with so many scattered across the state and often living in rural areas.
“I reside in Houston, MS. And you know, I have to travel an hour and a half one way for these opportunities and an hour back. And typically, with any sport, you’re looking at two to three nights a week for practice,” said Atkinson.
Atkinson believes the homeschool community can be an asset for public schools in sports and also parental involvement.
“Every state surrounding us has already passed the Tim Tebow Law. With this passing of this law, we are able to then tap into talents and resources that other schools are already taking advantage of,” said Atkinson.
Kellie’s son, Job, currently plays for a travel soccer team in Tupelo.
He has high hopes for the future.
“I really like football. Hopefully, I get to play high school football for Houston. I would like to thank John Lancaster for opening up this idea to the House and all the government. And hopefully, the Senate passes it,” said Job.
Job and his siblings also attend the Christian-based homeschool co-op, Classical Conversations, where they learns and connect with other students their age.
The only requirements for homeschool students to play public school sports are for them to pass state academic assessments and pay any activities fees required by the district.
Previously, homeschool students would have to pay an additional fee to play public school sports, but the house amended the bill to remove the requirement.
Atkinson said she has spoken with State Representative Jon Lancaster of Houston for several years about the bill.
Lancaster co-authored the bill.
