SAISD Votes to Opt Out of Allowing Homeschool Students in UIL Activities, Despite Family Plea

SAN ANGELO, TX — After an emotional public comment period led by the Matlock family, the San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees voted 5-2 on Monday to opt out of Senate Bill 401, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in UIL extracurricular activities, including sports, band, and debate.

The vote maintains the district’s current policy prohibiting participation by students who are not enrolled in SAISD. Board members Gerard Gallegos, Ami Mizell-Flint, Pam Duncan, Bill Dendle, and Board President Taylor Kingman voted in favor of opting out. Trustees Karla Cardenas and Kyle Mills voted against the motion.

The Matlock family, who homeschool their children in San Angelo, appealed to the board during public comments. Seven-year-old Justin Matlock began by asking the board to “please pass this rule so my brother can play soccer and one day I can too.” 

Other siblings spoke of their desire to participate in UIL events, while parents Melissa and Chris Matlock emphasized accountability, fairness, and the potential benefits for homeschool families and the district. Chris noted that extracurricular programs like band could grow without significant added cost, saying, “The band would be larger and also louder, which makes it even more impressive than it already is.” He added, “This will not only benefit each student that tries out, but it’ll benefit SAISD as well.”

“UIL programs are paid by public tax dollars that include homeschool and public school parents,” Jericho Matlock, 15, told the board. “Being able to participate should not be limited to where a student learns.”

Chris Matlock noted that the district could receive up to $1,500 per UIL activity per student from the state, arguing that inclusion would not be a financial burden. “Please do not let the fear of the unknown… be the reasons that SAISD chooses not to participate,” he said.

During board discussion, Dr. Christopher Moran, SAISD Superintendent, said that administrators, coaches, and sponsors advised against allowing homeschool students to join UIL activities. Concerns included enrolled students losing roster spots and the perceived competitive imbalance between students with flexible homeschool schedules and those bound by the public school day.

Trustee Pam Duncan reminded the board that the decision extended beyond athletics. “We have to remember that this is for all extracurricular, debate, band, orchestra, speech, everything,” she said. She noted that some of those activities are scheduled during the school day, raising logistical concerns. “So we’ve talked a lot about the sports, but it’s when you open this up, it’s everything,” Duncan said. “Everything that is extracurricular, because we can’t say yes to one thing and no to something else.”

Trustee Kyle Mills said the district has “a responsibility… to be there for all students, whether enrolled or not,” and argued that helping homeschool students participate could strengthen community ties.

“It’d be nice to try something different as a district and see how it goes,” said Trustee Karla Cardenas. “It’s okay for one season, to try it out.”

Ultimately, Gallegos made the motion to opt out, and Mizell-Flint seconded. The motion passed 5-2. After the vote, the Matlock family shook hands with each board member in appreciation for their consideration.

Without the vote to opt out, SB 401 would have automatically granted participation rights to non-enrolled students starting in the 2025–26 school year.