No-brainer decision is very complicated

While legislators debate and the UHSAA's board of trustees discusses the issue, students like Aaron Olsen are left in limbo.

If finding a way for charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities at public schools is truly a "no-brainer," it's got to be one of the most complicated "no-brainers" in recent history.

Several times during the Education Interim Committee meeting Wednesday morning those who testified on the subject as well as at least two legislators referred to the idea of allowing charter school students the opportunity to play sports at their home public schools as a "no-brainer." And while most agree that finding a way for the growing number of students attending charter schools to stay involved in their home public schools for athletics is something that should happen, just exactly how that arrangement should work is where the conversation gets complicated.

The issue has been discussed by the Administrative Rules Committee for the past couple of months. That committee referred part of the discussion to the Education Interim Committee meeting, and while they discussed the issues surrounding nontraditional students for more than an hour, committee leadership acknowledge they'd likely put it on another agenda for further discussion.

And while legislators look at their options, the Utah High School Activities Association has already collaborated with state school board officials to come up with at least four options that they plan to present to the UHSAA's board of trustees in August. The UHSAA's staff and attorney have said they have no objections to allowing charter schools that are not members of UHSAA for athletics to participate in sports at their home boundary schools.

"It seems to me very likely that kids going to charter schools that are not members ... will be allowed to participate at their home schools," said UHSAA attorney Mark Van Wagoner. "We would use the same exception we give to home-school students."

Where the issue gets complicated is at the district level. While some districts allow it already, others do not. And for some districts, it's left up to the individual school principals.

"If the school districts won't allow it, we can't do anything about that," Van Wagoner said.

Olsen transferred to a charter school in West Jordan last year after spending his freshman and most of his sophomore years at Copper Hills High School. He was a member of the swim team and wants to continue to participate with his friends.