Iowa § 256.46 - 256.46 Rules for participation in extracurricular activities by certain children.

§ 256.46. 256.46 Rules for participation in extracurricular activities by certain children.

1. The state board shall adopt rules that permit a child who does not meet the residence requirements for participation in extracurricular interscholastic contests or competitions sponsored or administered by an organization as defined in section 280.13 to participate in the contests or competitions immediately if the child is duly enrolled in a school, is otherwise eligible to participate, and meets one of the following circumstances or a similar circumstance: a. The child has been adopted. b. The child is placed under foster or shelter care. c. The child is living with one of the child’s parents as a result of divorce, separation, death, or other change in the child’s parents’ marital relationship, or pursuant to other court-ordered decree or order of custody. d. The child is a foreign exchange student, unless undue influence was exerted to place the child for primarily athletic purposes. e. The child has been placed in a juvenile correctional facility. f. The child is a ward of the court or the state. g. The child is a participant in a substance use disorder or mental health program. h. The child is enrolled in an accredited nonpublic high school because the child’s district of residence has entered into a whole grade sharing agreement for the pupil’s grade with another district. i. If the child’s former school or school district, if located in this state, was unable to participate in varsity interscholastic sports as the result of a decision or implementation of a decision of the school board or superintendent. 2. The rules shall permit a child who is otherwise eligible to participate, but who does not meet one of the foregoing or similar circumstances relating to residence requirements, to participate at any level of competition other than the varsity level. 3. For purposes of this section and section 282.18, “varsity” means the highest level of competition offered by one school or school district against the highest level of competition offered by an opposing school or school district. 90 Acts, ch 1049, §1; 92 Acts, ch 1135, §1; 93 Acts, ch 101, §201; 2002 Acts, ch 1129, §1; 2005 Acts, ch 79, §1; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §20; 2019 Acts, ch 24, §30; 2021 Acts, ch 139, §12, 22; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §989 Referred to in §280.13D, 282.18 Extracurricular eligibility; see also chapter 261I and §282.18(11) Thu Dec 11 19:18:35 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 256.46 (28, 1)