How to Start Homeschooling in Florida

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Florida, and the law says so directly.

Florida defines a "home education program" in the statute. Under Fla. Stat. 1002.01, it means "the sequentially progressive instruction of a student directed by his or her parent" in order to satisfy the state's attendance requirements. Under Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1), a home education program is registered with the district school superintendent for the purpose of complying with the attendance law in Fla. Stat. 1003.21(1).

That phrase "sequentially progressive" is worth understanding. The statute does not define it further. In plain terms, your child's education should build on itself over time.

Here is the shape of it. You file a one-time notice of intent with your county superintendent. You keep a portfolio. You complete one annual evaluation. No required subjects. No required curriculum. You are in the driver's seat.

Florida requires school attendance for children ages 6 through 16. This comes from Fla. Stat. 1003.21(1)(a)1., which covers children who have turned 6, or who will turn 6 by February 1 of the school year, and who have not yet turned 16.

Because attendance is required starting at age 6, a 5-year-old is not yet of compulsory school age.

At 16, attendance does not simply stop. Under Fla. Stat. 1003.21(1)(c), a student who turns 16 leaves compulsory attendance only after filing a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment with the district school board.

Here is how to start homeschooling in Florida under the Home Education Program (Fla. Stat. 1002.41).

Step 1: File your notice of intent. Send a written, signed notice to the district school superintendent of the county where you live. File it within 30 days of starting your program. No specific form is required, and the superintendent must accept the notice and register your program right away without asking for more information (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(b)). The statute lists what the notice must include; confirm the exact details with the Florida Department of Education's home education office before you send it.

Step 2: If your child is enrolled in a school. Fla. Stat. 1002.41 does not require you to send a withdrawal letter to your child's current school. Your notice of intent is what registers your home education program.

Step 3: Start your portfolio. Keep a log of educational activities as you go, naming any reading materials by title. Save samples of your child's writings, worksheets, workbooks, and creative work. The portfolio stays at home. Preserve it for 2 years. The district superintendent may ask to inspect it with 15 days' written notice, per Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(e).

Step 4: Plan your annual evaluation. Once a year, your child is evaluated. You pick the method, and you file a copy of the evaluation with the superintendent's office. More on your options below.

Step 5: Start teaching. Choose your curriculum. Set your schedule. Florida does not list required subjects, and Fla. Stat. 1002.41(3) excludes home education programs from the school day requirements. You decide what learning looks like for your family.

The notice of intent is your one filing to begin homeschooling in Florida.

Send it to the district school superintendent of the county where you live. It must be in writing and signed by you. Florida law does not require a specific form or a notary, and no attachments are required. The notice must include the full legal names, addresses, and birthdates of all children in the program (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(a)).

This is a one-time filing, not an annual renewal.

When your program ends, file a written notice of termination with the superintendent, along with the annual evaluation, within 30 days of termination, under Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(c).

Florida law ties the notice to the superintendent of the county where you live (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(a)) and does not set a separate transfer step when you move between counties.

Of all the Florida homeschool requirements, the evaluation is the one parents ask about most. Here is the reassuring part: under Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(f), you, the parent, select the method.

You have five options.

Teacher evaluation. A teacher you choose reviews your child's portfolio and talks with your child about their progress. The teacher must hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level.

Nationally normed test. Your child takes any nationally normed student achievement test, given by a certified teacher. The statute does not name specific tests.

State assessment. Your child takes a state student assessment test used by the school district, given by a certified teacher at a location and under conditions approved by the district.

Licensed evaluator. Your child is evaluated by an individual holding a valid, active license under Fla. Stat. 490.003(7) or (8).

Agreed-upon method. You and the superintendent agree on another valid measurement tool.

File a copy of the evaluation each year with the superintendent's office in the county where your child lives. The standard is "educational progress at a level commensurate with" your child's ability. There is no fixed minimum score in the law.

What if the superintendent finds that progress was not shown? Under Fla. Stat. 1002.41(2), the superintendent notifies you in writing. You then have 1 year from receiving that notice to provide remedial instruction, and your child is reevaluated at the end of that year. Continuation in a home education program depends on showing progress commensurate with ability at that point.

Florida gives you several legal ways to educate your child outside a public school. Each works differently.

Home Education Program (Fla. Stat. 1002.41). One-time notice of intent. Portfolio. Annual evaluation. You direct what and how you teach.

Private Tutoring (Fla. Stat. 1002.43). Instruction by a tutor who holds a valid Florida certificate to teach the subjects or grades taught. The tutor keeps an enrollment and attendance register and makes the reports required by the state and the district school board. Fla. Stat. 1002.43 does not require student testing. The tutor must keep the student in actual attendance for the minimum term in Fla. Stat. 1011.60(2): 180 actual teaching days, or the hourly equivalent set by State Board of Education rule. State law sets no separate notice for tutoring; the reports the tutor makes are the ones the district school board requires.

Private School / Umbrella School (Fla. Stat. 1002.42). Your child enrolls in a private or umbrella (cover) school and is legally a private school student, not a home education student. The school keeps the enrollment and attendance register and files the annual private school survey (Fla. Stat. 1002.42). State law requires no notice, testing, or records from the family. If your child uses a Family Empowerment or Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, you must have your child take the norm-referenced test the school offers (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(10), 1002.395(7)). If your child is leaving a home education program, file your notice of termination with the superintendent within 30 days (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(1)(c)).

Florida Virtual School (Fla. Stat. 1002.37). Online courses, which some families use to supplement a home education program for subjects like foreign language or advanced math.

Tips and opportunities every Florida homeschool family should know about:

Education funding may be available. Florida's Personalized Education Program (PEP), administered by Step Up For Students, can help pay for curriculum, textbooks, tutoring, and technology. PEP has its own rules on top of Fla. Stat. 1002.41, such as a Student Learning Plan and expense reporting. Receiving PEP does not change your notice, portfolio, or evaluation obligations.

Special needs families have options. The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA, Fla. Stat. 1002.394) can help fund services like speech therapy, OT, ABA therapy, and assistive technology from private providers. Apply through Step Up For Students. A school district may also provide exceptional student education related services to a home education student with a disability who enrolls in a public school solely for those services (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(10)). Before you withdraw a child with an IEP, make sure you have a plan for the services your child needs.

Your child can play sports and join activities. Fla. Stat. 1002.41(4) lets home education students take part in interscholastic extracurricular activities under Fla. Stat. 1006.15 (the Craig Dickinson Act). Your child must meet the same academic, age, and residency rules as public school students.

Dual enrollment and college. Home education students may take part in dual enrollment under Fla. Stat. 1007.271 and the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, and are eligible for admission to Florida College System institutions and state universities (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(5)-(8)).

You issue the diploma. Florida does not give home education students a state diploma. You, the parent, award it.

District tests are open to you. School districts must make industry certifications, national assessments, and statewide standardized assessments available to home education students and tell you how to sign up (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(12)).

Do not forget the termination notice. When your program ends, file a written termination notice, along with the annual evaluation, within 30 days.