There are many factors contributing to the surge in Florida home education, and to homeschooling nationwide. In Florida, major reasons for the increase include a rise in awareness of the possibilities of homeschooling; the modest level of oversight; an established state history of home education freedom and opportunities; post-pandemic homeschoolers who've chosen to remain; and, most recently, the introduction of personalized educational programs (PEP) approved by the legislature in 2023. Other reasons why Florida families choose home education are covered in this article.
With so many new families choosing Florida homeschooling in 2024, a common question for parents is, "Which option shall I choose?"
In this article, we provide an at-a-glance look at the 4 different options available in Florida for the 2024-25 academic year.
Four Ways to Homeschool in Florida Today
Traditional Home Education: Using the notice of intent to establish a home education program.
Private or Umbrella Schools: Registering a child in a private school specifically designed to report enrollment for homeschoolers.
Private Tutoring: Hiring a teacher certified in specific grade levels and subject areas to provide the instruction and report attendance to the State.
PEP Scholarships: Applying to a scholarship funding organization to become eligible for state funds and to be reimbursed for products and services used to direct the home education.
Below is a short list of the basic requirements for each of the options above, paraphrased for ease in understanding (the Florida Statutes shall always prevail):
Basic Requirements for Each of the 4 Methods
Traditional Home Education:
Requires the submission of a short letter called a "notice of intent", delivered to the school district, once, when home education is about to begin. This step will never be repeated again.
Home education families report to their local Superintendent, in the county in which they reside.
Requires collecting a sample of each student's work, annually, and creating a list of the educational activities performed by the student that year. This material, known as the "portfolio", is held by the family for a minimum of 2 years.
Requires the submission of a type of student evaluation once per student, per year, until home education has ended. This evaluation could be a review of the child's work samples, a test, a psychological evaluation, a transcript from Florida Virtual School or a dual enrollment program, or other measures of student progress for the year. The choice of which evaluation to submit to a district is left for parents to decide, as long as it is one typically accepted by a school district. Evaluation methods can vary year by year.
Requires parents to be able to produce the work samples described above (item b) should an authorized representative of the district Superintendent's office ever ask to inspect it. While the right to inspect is rarely exercised, districts are permitted to visually inspect the instructional material within 15 days of notice, in writing, from the district in which they reside.
Find applicable law for home education HERE.
Private (or "Umbrella") Schools:
Requires the selection of a Florida private (or "umbrella") school that is properly registered and recognized by the Florida Department of Education.
Umbrella school families report to the umbrella school, which in turn, reports the student to the Department of Education.
Requires the payment of tuition or fees as may be required by the private or umbrella school for enrollment, courses, services, or deliverables that may be available from the school.
Requires the reporting of personally identifying student information and student medical information using the method and format requested by the private or umbrella school.
Requires the regular reporting of student attendance, using the method and format required by the private or umbrella school.
Requires following the guidelines, if any, set forth by the private school as to curriculum selection, grade reporting, standardized testing, or anything that may be required by the chosen school.
Find applicable law for private schools HERE.
Private Tutoring:
Requires retaining the services of a certified school teacher with an active, professional Florida certification in the grade levels and subject areas required to teach the specific learner in the private tutoring program.
Requires deferring the academic decision making, instruction, and reporting to the teacher, who will oversee the educational program and act as primary teacher for the student, for the school year.
Students may be assembled in environments resembling classrooms of up to 25 students, as guided by the private tutor.
Find applicable law for private tutoring HERE.
Personalized Education Programs (PEP):
Requires applying to a scholarship funding organization (presently, either Step Up for Students or AAA) and awaiting approval of the application and receipt of funds into the student's account.
Requires terminating any previous method of schooling/reporting attendance, whether the student was enrolled in home education; or whether the student was enrolled in a public, private or parochial school; in order to receive PEP funding.
Requires the submittal of a general curriculum plan.
Requires submitting for approval the receipts for products or services used for instruction, from the pre-approved scholarship funds, to receive reimbursement for materials used to provide the education.
Requires annual testing, using the method and format determined by the program, and scores uploaded to the scholarship funding organization by the annual deadline.
Requires continuing to meet all eligibility requirements and complete the application procedure again annually.
Requires complying with other procedures as outlined by each scholarship funding organization as they may arise throughout the year, including but not limited to any procedures for reapplying annually and applying for reimbursements.
Find applicable law for PEP programs HERE.
Refer to other articles on our website to learn more about each of these options.
Look to the Florida Statutes for the laws that govern Florida homeschooling in all its forms.
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