§176.2. Extracurricular activities; interscholastic athletics; participation by home study students and virtual school students

            A. A public school shall not disqualify a student from participating in extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics solely because the student is enrolled in an approved home study program or virtual school if the student lives in the attendance zone of the public school.

            (1) A student who is enrolled in an approved home study program or virtual school shall try out or apply for extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics at the public school in the same manner, time, and place as the students who attend the public school.

            (2) After the try out or application, should the student meet the qualifications for an extracurricular activities club or an interscholastic athletics team, the student shall be required to maintain all requirements for participation that a student enrolled in that public school would have to meet in order to participate in the extracurricular activity or the interscholastic athletics activity, including but not limited to maintaining a minimum grade point average and complying with disciplinary standards. Failure to meet the requirements with respect to a minimum grade point average or failure to adhere to the disciplinary standards shall be grounds for the school to remove the student from participation in the extracurricular activities club or the interscholastic athletics team.

            B. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no public school may be a member of, or participate in any competition sponsored by, any interscholastic extracurricular athletic association or organization that denies eligibility to a student solely on the basis of the student's enrollment in an approved home study program or virtual school.

            C. For purposes of this Section:

            (1) "Approved home study program" means a home study program approved as provided for in R.S. 17:236.1.

            (2) "Virtual school" shall be defined as in R.S. 17:236.3.

            Acts 2024, No. 715, §1; Acts 2026, No. 545, §1.