Colleges and universities have part time students.

But what about K through 12 schools?

A new bill in the Kentucky State Senate could make that a reality.

How would this work and why?

Our Clayton Dalton tells us as we kick off tonight's legislative update.

More choice in the public system and the removal of any barriers for economically disadvantaged students that may be in the system.

Those are two main goals.

Kentucky has almost 650,000 public school students.

That's based on full time enrollment data from the Kentucky Department of Education.

But what if students were able to attend public school part time, opting into some classes and out of others.

A parent, guardian or other person with custody of a child subject to compulsory attendance under this chapter may partially satisfy the compulsory attendance requirements by enrolling your child as a student in a public school district on a part time basis.

For courses offered in the district schools.

That's the key component of the bill.

Part time students could be partially educated at one public school.

They would have to seek the rest of their education at a private or home school.

Students could not be part time at two public schools.

And the bill's sponsor says school districts wouldn't be compelled to accept students, especially those with discipline or attendance issues.

We didn't want a possibility to come up where county school has kids that are truancy issues, disciplinary issues, and they get the idea, Oh, I'm going to pawn these off on the city school or the independent school.

This bill allows that school to take that into account and put that into their nonresident pupil policy so they that can be addressed.

They're not forced to take those those kids.

Part time students could be allowed to participate in clubs and sports.

And for some school superintendents, this creates a problem.

You know, we all know that athletics are oftentimes a tremendous incentive to promote student participation, and it results in greater student outcomes in achievement.

I would be concerned that little Billy, who maybe loves soccer, comes to us so that he could participate in soccer.

He enrolls in one class for us.

Again, we don't know what he's doing through the through the course of the day and at the end of the day on a workforce development is something that everybody in this room is concerned with.

And I'd be concerned that we're not putting out the type of student for the state of Kentucky that I know that we all want to see.

But one legislator who has experience home schooling says she likes the bill.

And I wish when I was homeschooling, I could have had an option to get assistance in some of those core subjects that I know probably were being taught a little better than I was able to do at home.

And I think this is a really innovative way to accomplish the goal that we have for all of our K-12 students, whether they're homeschooled, whether they're in private, whether they're public to make sure they're receiving the best education possible.

Senate Bill 210 got mixed reviews.

The single No Vote came from fellow Republican State Senator Danny Carroll.

Two legislators, a Democrat and a Republican.

Registered pass votes.

Still, the bill passed out of committee with bipartisan support and amendments are expected as the bill moves forward.

Its next stop, the Senate floor.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

The bill's sponsors said he's open to working with Kentucky superintendents to more narrowly define part time status.