Overton County Board of Education was greeted with a full conference room for its regular meeting March 19.

When the business meeting began, the subject was added to the agenda and John Copeland was allowed to address the School Board on behalf of the home-school petitioners. He began by presenting a petition with 375 signatures, of which 192 were students, with a majority of those being Livingston Academy students.

“I would like to present that to you all to let you know that there are more than just one or two of us that’s interested in this issue,” Copeland said.

In his third time before the school board, Copeland explained that home-schooled athletes would still have to meet the grade eligibility requirements for student-athletes.

“Each home-school family has to be registered with either the Overton County School System or another entity that they are to register with,” he said.

“We’re just asking that you allow our sons, our daughters to have an opportunity,” Copeland said.

State Representative John Mark Windle has introduced a bill to require school systems to allow home-schooled students across Tennessee to play on public school teams, which is already allowed under TSSAA rules but is regulated by each individual school board. Copeland testified before the State House Education Subcommittee last month.

He told the School Board, “One question was, ‘Do you understand Mr. Copeland that your local school board can vote on this and pass it?’

The subcommittee sent the bill to another committee.

Copeland asked the School Board if they could give a reason why the home-schooled kids should not have the opportunity to try out for the public school sports teams.

He went on to reiterate, “All I’m asking today is just the opportunity for our kids just to be able to try out.”

Chairman Howard Miller answered, “What we’re going to do is put it on the agenda for next month.”