Legally Homeschooling in Florida

Home schooling is a parent-directed educational option that satisfies the compulsory attendance requirements defined in the Florida Statutes.  The law creating Florida's home education program came into effect on June 17, 1985, and according to the Florida Department of Education, for the 2010-2011 school year, the numbers provided by the districts indicate that there are 48,254 families (69,281 students) homeschooling statewide, with the number of families choosing home education growing every year.¹ And these numbers do not include families with children registered in umbrella schools, since these students are not considered home educated.

To legally homeschool in Florida, parents must either establish a homeschool program by registering their children with their school district, enroll their children in a private/umbrella school or correspondence school as homeschoolers, or hire a private tutor.  You can read more about your home education options here: Florida Home Education Options.

When parents register their children with their school district, they are responsible for deciding on a curriculum, keeping portfolios, and having their children evaluated annually by a certified teacher.  The evaluations are then sent to the school district to be kept on file.  When parents enroll their children in a private/umbrella school, the parents (usually) decide on a curriculum, however, (for most schools) the parents only need to submit attendance records to the private/umbrella school.  (Some private/umbrella schools require specific curriculum, annual testing, and/or grade reporting.)  Parents who enroll their children in a correspondence school are provided a full curriculum and are assigned a teacher/consultant who issues assignments and provides testing, grading, and record keeping.  All private/umbrella schools and correspondence schools should be in compliance with Florida's legal requirements.  You  can read the laws governing your freedom to homeschool in the Florida Statutes and at the Florida Department of Education.