Parent asks Fountain Hills board to allow ESA home-educated students in district athletics; board says policy under review

At the board’s public‑comment period, resident Renee Johnson asked the Fountain Hills Unified School Board to change district policy so Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) home‑educated students may participate in district athletics and activities.

Johnson told the board she provided the ESA parent handbook and athletic handbooks from other districts and argued those documents indicate ESA home‑educated students are under the authority of the Arizona Department of Education and can be eligible to participate. "So ESA students are under the authority of the State Department of Education, not the county," she said, and asked the board why Fountain Hills would deny local ESA students the chance to participate in sports while foreign exchange students are allowed.

Board President Reed responded that ESA participation is not on the agenda because the district is still researching the matter and gathering legal advice. "It is a policy in our district, so it's not just changing a couple words," the president said, adding the district is consulting the Department of Education, the county superintendent’s office and attorneys and will bring the issue back to the board when legal and policy questions are resolved.

Johnson noted local data contained in the ADE report and told the board that dozens of students in the school ZIP code use ESA and could return to district activities if allowed; the board asked Johnson and others to share policies from other districts and confirmed the district had received materials from her.

Next steps: The board directed staff to continue researching legal counsel and policies used by peer districts and to return with a proposed policy or options at a later meeting; no formal action was taken tonight.