Abiding by the Laws
As a home educator, you have the responsibility to make sure you are in compliance with state laws. Check the Florida state statutes on homeschooling here. 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 public school sports and activities. | 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. | Lowest priority to Florida Virtual School. |
| Cost (though some are very inexpensive) | |
| More rigorous requirements for Bright Futures | |
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. You do this by sending a letter to the county school board.
Click here
for a sample "letter of intent."
Click here to find the name and address of your county superintendent or coordinator for homeschoolers.
After
receiving your "letter of intent," the county will send you
a confirmation letter. Keep it 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.
Click here for a materials form.
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:
- 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.
- Results of a nationally-normed achievement test (like the CAT) administered by a certified teacher. (Any state license will do for this one.)
- A state assessment (the FCAT) administered by personnel of the school district. (You may have to pay for this service.) Please note that this is NOT recommended!
- 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. You may ask for the names of these teachers on the North Florida Homeschool discussion list.
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
