Aurora Policy
The Aurora School Board has refused to allow freshman Caden Huenefeld to join the Aurora wrestling team because he is being home schooled. Despite the fact that Caden's parents offered to enroll Caden for twenty credit hours in the Aurora Public School District in order to satisfy NSAA eligibility requirements, the Aurora Board refused to allow him to enroll on the premise that a student must take all their classes in the public school or none at all. To his credit, one board member, who voted to deny Caden that oppertunity, wants to hear from students, coaches and teachers from across Nebraska who have had first hand experience with home school students either in extracurricular activities or in the classroom. He wants to know what effect particitaption of a home schooled student has on fellow students and teammates.Board members have been advised by our administration that home schoolers would be "behind" academically and would negatively impact the education of other students in the classroom. Board members have also been advised that there would be "harassment of and by the home school students" as well as other behavioral and discipline management problems. Administrators are also concerned about the impact the presence of a home school student may have on school spirit and team morale. They are particularly concerned that some students may "lose their spot" to a home schooled student. If you have any first hand experience in this regard please respond.
Please understand that credibility of responses in crucial. Please do not comment if you are not willing to identify yourself by both name and school. Thanks

This isn't even an Aurora rule. Doesn't the NSAA have a rule denying home school students participation?

Let me tell you something. Last year I got to know the Huenefeld family from Aurora and they are the perhaps the nicest and most personable people I have met in my 5 years of following Nebraska wrestling. At the Boys Town tournament I introduced myself to Dan and upon me mentioning Caden he told me the circumstances of he and his wife home schooling all their children. Not being familar with this type of situation I was sort of apprehensive, just as most people are, towards his sons and how they might be different from other kids because I was not familar with home schooling. He introduced me to his son Cody, who had graduated a year prior and was now attending college. Cody shook my hand with a firm grip and was very respectful and kind. After Caleb finished his final match he came to talk with his parents where we were sitting. When introduced to me Caleb also shook my hand, looked me in the eyes and said he was happy to meet me. He struck me as one of the nicest, most polite, socially skilled and respectful kids I've ever met. I had numerous contact with the Huenefeld family throughout the course of the season as it seemed I ended up at nearly every tournament Aurora went to. When I was talking to Caleb he struck me as a young man whose social skills surpassed those of nearly every other wrestler I have interacted with in my time spent with scholastic athletes. He was no different than any other students other than being perhaps more respectful and courteous. I mentioned the possible circumstances surrounding Caden to Mike Carnes of NWI and asked him to please do what we can to make sure Caden is allowed to particpate in the athletic program at Aurora. In my own opinion, Aurora would greatly benefit from having an honorable student/athlete and future role model like Caden to expand the horizons of their other student athletes. I see no reason why this young man not be given the chance to follow the same path as his older brothers Cody and Caleb and be given the chance to make the Aurora school system better than it would be without him. I'll do anything I can to help make sure that Caden gets the same opportunity to compete and benefit from the extra guidance of a great coach and role model like Coach Bill Wofford. If you have any questions I can be contacted via email rossh@huskermat.com Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ross Halford
Huskermat.com

Here's what I found on NSAA by-law site

APPROVED RULINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS FOR SECTION 2.2.1
Reference:
2.2.1
1. To be a participant in any NSAA activity at either the varsity or non-varsity levels of competition, an individual
must be a bona fide student of a member high school. Exempt-school or home-school students, unless
enrolled in a minimum of twenty credit hours of schoolwork in the member high school, are not eligible to
represent a member school in NSAA activities, regardless of the level of participation or competition.

Well, the rules look pretty straight foward from the NSAA, let him wrestle. Here's the way I look at it Aurora board of education...better to have him on your side then against you in a wrestling match. You never know whose going to be a state champ and you might be passing one up. Good luck Caden and I hope they let you wrestle.

"Board members have been advised by our administration that home schoolers would be "behind" academically and would negatively impact the education of other students in the classroom. Board members have also been advised that there would be "harassment of and by the home school students" as well as other behavioral and discipline management problems."

I would like to see the data that supports these statements. I think they are stereotypical view points and nonresearched comments.

If the kid jumps through the hoops and the parents want some level of social involvement why not let him compete? Is it taking away funding or resources from the district? I doubt it. Let him attend and compete for the PUBLIC district if he meets the state's requirements.

If he could take 20 hours and be eligible then it is all good.
I don't understand why the board would not allow the 20 hours of enrollment. I am sure they have their reasons. But is Caden(who I don't think of as a slow or socially deficient person) going to slow down a class anymore than any other student?

I missed the part in the first post about the offer to enroll caden. If he is enrolled, then he is part of the school and should be able to compete. Why wouldn't they enroll him?

I can understand the stance taken by Aurora Public Schools. How do you measure the standards for a kid that only takes 20 hours? That kid really is not moveing forward to meet the requirements of graduation. If a student that was already enrolled full time was not filling the requirements to meet graduation he/she would not be able to participate. Who is to say that the rest of the day he is only training? What if several other kids decide thatthey only want to enroll in 20 hours and particiate in sports? I believe that this issue is bigger than sport and that Aurora is preserving the academic integrity of thier school system and I applaud them for it. Academics first!

To say homeschoolers would get behind,is absolutely not true.Most homeschool situations come to pass because a parent, or parents,for religious, or academic reasons decide they can provide a better enviroment than is available in a public school system.I will not argue that point,and would agree in most cases.We homeschooled my children when they were young.Later they entered a christian school,followed by entering the public school system at the highschool level.They were above their grade level in every class.My oldest daughter,who was homeschooled about half of her school years finished in the top 2% acedemically out of a class of 400. Her sophmore year of college she aced a tough English class.This particular professor wrote her a personal note stating to her that she was the only person in over 10 years of teaching that class who ever got a perfect score for the class.My daughter has now completed her prelaw classes and is in her second year of law school. Much of her academic success can be attributed to the years that we had her at home, with total control over her learning enviroment.

Speaking of academics, it's "moving" and "their." But I agree with MB, academics first. Lets make sure this kid can at least spell some of the most basic words and, if he can, let him wrestle.

Once again the Public School system display their bias. The Home School movement began because the Public Schools weren't doing the job. Granted, it needs regulation, but for the Public Schools to pass judgement across the board is crap. I have had the honor of Coaching several of these kids in Baseball, and not one of them lacked in any area. This young man's parents pay taxes like the rest of us, and the Aurora District is using their tax money for its programs. If he enrolls in the 20 hours, let him Wrestle. Get past this our way or the highway crap in public education.

I work in a situation where I'm involved with home-schooled children on occasion. I 've found these children to be polite, well mannered and extremely respectful.

That being said, I'm with MB on this one for one simple reason: CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES. The Heuenfelds made the CHOICE to withdraw there children from the public schools system, and the CONSEQUENCE of that CHOICE is the that their children have to forfeit the right to participate in the extracuricular activities of said schools.

What are we teaching our children if we change the rules depending on whatever way the PC wind is blowing. You can't have it both ways. Allowing Calen to particpate in school activities while not attending school is at best a spit in the eye to the public school system and at worst outright discrimination against the student who's place on the team Calen would take

This may not seem right or fair at all. The simple fact of the matter is that for whatever reason (legitimate or not), the Heuenfelds deemed the public school system, and all it's inherent problems and benefits, to be unworthy of their children. At the point of that CHOICE a parent has to realize that sacrifices will have to be made, and in Calens case that sacrifice will have to be wrestling.

I suggest that the Heuenfelds look in forming a team with the other home schooled children in the area, and compete against other home-schooled students. I know that leagues exist for football and basketball so why not wrestling.

How is the the 189 lber able to wrestle. Does he go to school at Aurora?

Do Caden's folks pay taxes that support the "public" system? That's what I thought.

I can't imagine such arrogant, cliche'd PC garbage in this day & age! Sure the Huenfeld's made a choice to home school their kids . . . and that is a bad thing????????? Now you are worried that Caden might take another kids athletic spot????????? I thought you were supposed to earn your spot on a team! You NSEA types think that YOU are the only ones that can TEACH??????????? Can anyone say "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND"????????? Look, Aurora already collected the sizable tax levy from the Huenfeld farming operation without putting anything out for Caden . . . the family agreed to enroll him 20 hrs. as required for NSAA elegibility . . . WHAT'S THE PROBLEM????????? Public Schools can be fine for some kids & not for others as incidents brought to light the last few months have exemplified. Maybe some of the rest of us that continue to pay obscene amounts of property taxes to support public education are just about fed up with the condesending attitude that the Public School Administration continues to exhibit! Bring on the voucher program! If the school won't let him participate even after meeting NSAA requirements, then refund the tax bill collected from his family by the district. Public Education has been on a steady decline the past 30 years & this sort of garbage is just another example why!

Would this be why some people are sending their kids to private schools? There are choices!

If you can get Caden eligible to wrestle maybe you can claim two state wrestling titles. Last year you you said you were the Class B Public School wrestling champions, if Caden is eligible you would also be the Class B Home School State Champions. LOL

Now that's comedy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many of the folks writing their opinions on here are doing so without any data to support what they are saying. In fact most folks are just talking to talk.....This is a fact. School districts have to weigh the good of the many over the good of the one. While the Huenenfelds may be all that everyone says, and more, once Pandora's box is opened, then you have a precidence that is uncontrollable. So anyone else, no matter the reason, can point to this presidence and ask for the same thing. This could be dangerous. As for Public Education doing or not doing THE JOB, I would say that the recent statistics in the OWH support a fine public school system in Nebraska as it is measured against the other states. NOW, folks, that is DATA that you can stand behind! I believe that with OPEN ENROLLMENT, the Huenenfeld's have the right to see if they can go PART TIME to another school or private school. Let us see how many takers they will get? I would venture to say......NONE!

My only question is why are they letting Caleb still wrestle and not the younger one? Doesn't he also get home schooled. I think they set the precedence previously allowing him to go and I find it ironic that they do let one go from the family and not the other.