Taxes and Access to Sports & Activities

Access to Sports and Activities

A. Yes, we all pay taxes. Legislators argue that everyone pays these taxes; however, not everyone reaps the benefits directly from the tax monies they pay.

For instance, we all pay taxes to fund our local libraries, but not everyone uses the library. Adults who have never had children and retirees without children pay the same taxes we do, but they don’t benefit from public schools.

Similarly, legislators argue that some taxpayers do not benefit from public schools because of choice–they choose to homeschool or attend private school.

Access to public school sports has an additional barrier. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) regulates interscholastic sports programs and competitive activities among Virginia’s high schools. VHSL’s policies and high school eligibility rules prohibit homeschool participation. Rules such as being a “regular student” (meaning a full-time student) and requiring students to take five/pass five subjects that must be recognized by the Virginia Department of Education. These rules eliminate homeschoolers.