Charter school and public school students would be allowed into extracurricular activities at each others' schools under a bill passed Wednesday by the state Senate.
Similar legislation is pending in the state House.
Rachel Sackett, a 15-year-old Gwinnett County charter school student, stood in the state Capitol with tears in her eyes after the bill bearing her name won Senate approval.
She was elated at being a step closer to rejoining a high school lacrosse team.
"I've been playing lacrosse since it was first introduced into Gwinnett County," Sackett said. "I didn't want to give it up."
Sackett had been playing lacrosse at Mill Creek High School, but then transferred to Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, a county charter school that does not offer sports.
So she asked Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, to help her.
Unterman and Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, are sponsoring the bill that would allow charter, virtual and magnet school students, but not home schoolers, to participate in extracurricular activities at charter or regular schools in their attendance district. There are some limitations: the activity has to be something not offered at their school, and principals may turn the student down for an appropriate reason.
Some senators were concerned top student athletes might be able to shop for a school under the law, but, after some spirited discussion, the bill passed 39 to 9.
Neither the Georgia Charter School Association or State Department of Education has taken a position on the bill. But officials with the Georgia High School Association, the governing body for high school sports in the state, have serious reservations.
"We feel like in order to be on a school team you ought to be a student at the school," said Ralph Swearngin, the association's executive director. "And when people make educational choices, there are consequences that come with it."
He said he has not heard of other students raising this issue.
"And that's a concern, I think, to make general policy affecting 434 schools based on a situation," Swearngin said.
Rogers said it is a shame when kids who go to alternative public schools do not have a chance to participate in athletics.
He said he has high hopes the House version will pass and a compromise can ultimately be approved and signed into law. He said he had not talked to his House counterparts.
"But that process will start almost immediately," he said.
Gwinnett School Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks said local school officials understand how important sports and extracurricular activities are to their students.
"We will certainly comply if this should become law," Wilbanks said. "But this change would present considerable implementation issues that would need to be addressed by local school districts."
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