Press Release from Pennsylvania Homeschoolers about signing ceremony

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Posted by Howard Richman on November 10 2005 at 23:37:29:

Pennsylvania Homeschoolers thanks Gov. Rendell for signing SB 361

With the enactment of Senate Bill 361, Pennsylvania joins 14 other states that also require that their public schools give homeschoolers access to school sports (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington).

About half of Pennsylvania’s school districts already allow homeschool participation, this bill requires that the other half also do so. This is a win-win bill for everyone—for school districts who get improved community relations, as well as for homeschooled students who get a chance to participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities.

The following were among the homeschoolers in the audience at the signing ceremony:

Samantha Weber, age 13, an excellent soccer player who wants to play soccer on the Freeport High School team. Her older brother, Zachary, now in the Air Force, was featured in a USA Today article when he was excluded from the Freeport High School team.
Olivia Loy, a sixth grade field hockey player from the Harrisburg Area. Olivia spent the fall as the manager of the local middle school level field hockey team. The sixth grade level doesn’t compete so she was able to practice with the team. But the seventh and eighth grade levels have games. If not for this law, Olivia would only be allowed to take stats and run for water next year.
Lydia, Rachel, and Abby Wong, three homeschooled sisters who now participate on the Northern York High School cross country team. The sisters were featured in a Carlisle Sentinel article on October 28, 2005.
Peter Hrycenko, the homeschooled father who lobbied for this bill for about five years. He began the effort when his son was excluded from playing on an Allentown High School team, and he continued to participate even after the Allentown School District reversed their policy and let his son play soccer during his senior year and his daughter run on their cross country team.
Howard Richman, co-editor of the PA Homeschoolers newsletter which has been published quarterly since 1982. Pennsylvania Homeschoolers organized the rally in support of the bill in the East Wing of the Capitol Rotunda on October 19. Bill sponsors Senators Regola and Jubelirer spoke at that rally, and we presented Senator Regola our Champion of Homeschool Excellence award in recognition of the athletic excellence he has helped promote through this bill. More about the bill can be found on the message board at the PA Homeschoolers website.

In addition to the Governor, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers would also particularly like to thank the Senators who sponsored Senate Bill 361 (click here to find their e-mail addresses):

And we would like to thank the following members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who sponsored the similar House Bill 1004:

Representative Mark McNaughton (Dauphin County),
Representative Gibson C. Armstrong (Lancaster County),
Representative Roy Baldwin (Lancaster County),
Representative Stephen Barrar (Chester & Delaware Counties),
Representative Kerry Benninghoff (Centre & Mifflin Counties),
Representative Ronald Buxton (Dauphin County),
Representative Thomas Caltagirone (Berks County),
Representative Steven Cappelli (Lycoming County),
Representative Jacqueline Crahalla (Montgomery County),
Representative Thomas Creighton (Lancaster County),
Representative Peter Daley (Fayette & Washington Counties),
Representative Craig Dally (Northampton County),
Representative John Fichter (Montgomery County),
Representative Patrick Fleagle (Franklin County),
Representative Robert Freeman (Northampton County),
Representative Richard Geist (Blair County),
Representative Robert Godshall (Montgomery County),
Representative Neal Goodman (Schuylkill County),
Representative Kate Harper (Montgomery County),
Representative Tim Hennessey (Chester County),
Representative Arthur Hershey (Chester County),
Representative Dick Hess (Bedford, Fulton & Huntingdon Counties),
Representative Tom Killion (Chester & Delaware Counties),
Representative Daylin Leach (Montgomery County),
Representative Eugene McGill (Montgomery County),
Representative Charles McIlhinney (Bucks County),
Representative Daryl Metcalfe (Butler County),
Representative John Pallone (Armstrong & Westmoreland Counties),
Representative Joseph Petrarca (Armstrong & Westmoreland Counties),
Representative Merle Phillips (Northumberland & Snyder Counties),
Representative Douglas Reichley (Berks & Lehigh Counties),
Representative Stanley Saylor (York County),
Representative Mario Scavello (Monroe County),
Representative Curt Schroder (Chester County),
Representative Edward Staback (Lackawanna & Wayne Counties),
Representative Jerry Stern (Blair County),
Representative Richard Stevenson (Butler & Mercer Counties),
Representative Thomas Stevenson (AlleghenyCounty),
Representative Elinor Taylor (Chester County),
Representative W. Curtis Thomas (Philadelphia County),
Representative Jim Wansacz (Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties),
Representative Katharine Watson (Bucks County),
Representative Rod Wilt (Lawrence & Mercer Counties),
Representative John Myers (Philadelphia County), and
Representative Rosita Youngblood (Philadelphia County).

Dr. Howard Richman, co-editor PA Homeschoolers newsletter
Phone: 724-783-6512
Website: www.pahomeschoolers.com
E-mail: howard@pahomeschoolers.com
DATE: November 10, 2005

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