Is it Legal to homeschool in Florida?
Yes, it is legal to homeschool in Florida. See below for
the regulations
To homeschool in Florida, you must either be registered with the county or with
an "umbrella" school. There are pros and cons to either option.
| Registered with County |
Umbrella School
|
| Pros |
| Able to participate in school activities if the school in your district
is open to the idea. |
Privacy -- Your child is a private school student in the eyes of the
state. |
| Different set of rules (easier) for Bright Futures Scholarship |
|
| Higher priority in Florida Virtual School enrollment. |
| No
charge to register with the county. |
| Cons |
| Little privacy -- You must report your child’s progress to the
government school system. |
Cost (though some are very inexpensive) |
| |
More rigorous requirements for Bright Futures |
| |
Check the Florida state statutes on homeschooling here
Registering with the County
If you choose to register with the county, you must register within thirty days
of pulling your child out of public or private school or within thirty days of
his or her required start date in school according to the compulsory age of six. After receiving your "letter
of intent," the county will send you a confirmation letter that you should keep
in a safe place for later reference. This letter serves as proof that your child
is meeting the compulsory education laws.
You must maintain a "portfolio" of your child’s work and a list of
educational materials used. A portfolio can be as simple as a couple pages of
work from each of the student’s subjects. The list of materials should include
all books that the child reads in addition to any texts, educational videos, or
audio programs used.
On the one year anniversary of registering with the county, your annual
educational evaluation is due. You may choose to provide the county with one of
the following:
1. A letter stating that a licensed, certified, Florida teacher has reviewed the
portfolio and had a discussion with the student, and that the child has made
progress commensurate with his ability. This letter must be signed by the
teacher and show his or her valid license number.
2. Results of a nationally normed achievement test (like the CAT) administered
by a certified teacher. (Any state license will do for this one.)
3. A state assessment (the FCAT) administered by personnel of the school
district. (You may have to pay for this service.)
4. Evaluation by a psychologist or school psychologist.
The most popular option is number one. There are many homeschool-friendly,
certified teachers available for this service, which usually costs about $25 per
student.
Umbrella Schools
You do not need to send a letter to the county if you enroll in an umbrella
school, also known as 600 school, a nonprofit, private school registered with
the state of Florida. Umbrella schools keep a transcript for your child, and as
far as the state is concerned, your child is enrolled in private school rather
than being homeschooled. Umbrella schools may require you to sign a statement of
faith, meet certain standards, take certain courses, or attend mandatory events.
You may also have to provide vaccine records (or an exemption form), attendance
records, standardized test results, and report cards. Check carefully into the
requirements and costs of each to see which will meet your family’s needs. Here
are a few of the many umbrella schools around Florida.
Allendale Academy
Contact Pat Carter at 727-531-2481 or Email
Atrium School
Contact Elise LaTorre, MS-Director at 561-496-3044 or
Email
Brevard Christian Home
Educators, Inc.
Email
321-454-2445,
321-635-8008
Florida
Learning Academy Private School, Inc.
Email the Academy
The Florida Family
Learning Academy
Email Kathy
Heritage Christian Homeschoolers Support Group & Co-op
Email Sherri
373-4005 (1-4PM M, Th, F)
New Covenant Christian School
Email NCCS
724-9603
Sancta Familia Academy, Inc.
Sancta Familia Academy is a private school offering a classical and Catholic
curriculum, run by a board of directors comprised of parents and professionals
concerned with the proper education of our Catholic youth and faithful to the
Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.
We operate in the state of Florida as a non-profit organization incorporated in
2001. We are a 501 (c)(3) corporation and your donations are tax deductible. SFA
is listed in the Florida Department of Education's Private School Directory,
member of NAPC*IS, and is modeled after Highlands Latin School in Louisville,
KY.
We offer a typical 5 day a week program, a part-time attendance cottage school
program, co-op classes and an ISP (independent study program) for home educated
students in grades pre-k through 12th.
Email SFA
676-6461
York Christian Academy
Email Valerie Hons here, or here.
Special Needs Children
Many families find that they are able to make better progress with their special
needs children through home education. As a resident of the county (or any
county in Florida, for that matter), you are entitled to the services that the
School Board offers EVEN WHEN you homeschool. If you would like your child
tested for learning disabilities or for the gifted program, call the county’s
Exceptional Education department at 321-631-1911 and request assistance. After
the testing is completed, you may decide whether you would like to avail
yourself of the available classroom and therapy options. Remember that these are
OPTIONS, not requirements. You may decide to use the results of the testing to
pursue your own therapy methods.
If your child has documented disabilities and was enrolled in public school
during the past year, he or she is probably eligible for a McKay Scholarship,
which pays tuition for enrollment in the private school of your choice. Some
private schools will provide you with the curriculum and support to homeschool
your child when you enroll using the McKay scholarship.
Additional sources of information for home education of special needs
children: