Two 8th grade homeschoolers from North Manchester, Indiana competed in the Wabash County Special Olympics on Saturday, May 8 and came away with gold and silver medals and a fourth place ribbon.

Isaiah Akins, homeschooler of North Manchester, brought home a fourth place ribbon in the shot put, a silver in the 100, silver in the 400 relay and a gold in the 200 meter. His twin brother, Isaac, won gold in shot put, gold in the 400, gold in the 100 meter and silver in the 400 relay.

Check out the delightful photos and video and continue reading Local homeschoolers compete in Special Olympics, bring home gold with aid of college student coaches, by Karla Akins, in the Fort Wayne Homeschooling Examiner.

In a short piece in the Daily Herald we learn the Central Unit District 301 school board is revising its policy for homeschoolers participation in public school sports. Of note is this comment from Superintendent Todd Stirn:

“We live in an age of greater accountability all the time. I fully support a family’s right to home school. But to give it proper oversight on our part? I believe we’d be overstepping our bounds.”

The concern with homeschoolers in school sports is that it leads to greater regulation of homeschooling. Public schools are just that – public. As such, they have a responsibility to openness and accountability. It would be best if homeschooling is wary of assuming any part of those responsibilities, which will include District 301′s sports policy. It will be worth seeing how, “ overstepping our bounds,” is defined in the revised policy.

District 301 board members are currently reviewing several policy options, from very strict to very lenient, Stirn said.