Learn about homeschooling laws, requirements, and resources specific to Florida.
Florida law explicitly recognizes home education as a legal way to satisfy school attendance, giving parents broad freedom to direct their children's education. Homeschooling has been legal in Florida since 1985 as a "parent-directed educational option" that fulfills the compulsory attendance requirement.
Florida law provides three legal options for homeschooling your child.
This is the most common option. Parents establish a home education program under Florida's homeschool statute (Fla. Stat. §1002.41), which is defined as "sequentially progressive instruction" directed by the parent.
No requirements for:
Instead of registering as a home education program, parents may enroll their child in a private school and educate them at home under that school's supervision. Many Florida private schools function as "umbrella schools" specifically for homeschooling families.
Benefits:
Florida law allows a child to be taught by a private tutor who holds a valid Florida teaching certificate for the appropriate grade level. A parent who is a Florida-certified teacher (or who hires one) can use this option.
Benefits:
Important Note: Most Florida homeschoolers use either the home education program or an umbrella private school. Families should choose one option (do not double-register), as each option has its own procedures. All three options satisfy Florida's compulsory attendance requirements for ages 6-16.
Considering your family's needs and circumstances, our AI tools can help you evaluate which of Florida's three homeschooling options might be the best fit for your situation. We can guide you through the pros and cons of each approach based on your teaching style, student needs, and desired level of independence.
Florida's notification requirements vary depending on which homeschooling option you choose. Here's what you need to know for each pathway:
If you establish a home education program, Florida law requires a one-time written notification to your local school district. This written notice is commonly called a Letter of Intent.
Important: The Letter of Intent is a one-time filing, not an annual requirement. You only file it when you begin homeschooling, move to a new district, or re-start after enrollment in school.
Simplified Process: If you decide to enroll in a private/umbrella school instead of registering a home education program, you do not file a Letter of Intent with the district.
Important: Do not send a home education Letter of Intent if operating under a private school, as this would cause confusion in records—you are either under the home-ed law or enrolled in a private school, not both.
Simplified Process: If homeschooling under the private tutor law, no formal notice to the school district is required by statute – the tutor does not file a Letter of Intent like a parent would.
Note: If withdrawing your child from a public school to begin the tutor option, you should still notify the school of the transfer to avoid any truancy confusion, even though you won't be filing an official homeschool notice.
Florida's compulsory school attendance age is 6 through 16 (inclusive). A child who is 5 or younger is not legally required to be in school, and districts may or may not accept a homeschool intent letter for a child under compulsory age. Likewise, once a student turns 16 and has completed the 10th grade or equivalent, they can legally terminate formal schooling if a parent signs a declaration to that effect (though many homeschoolers continue education beyond 16 toward high school completion).
Our AI tools can help you create properly formatted Letters of Intent, termination notices, and other required documentation based on your specific situation and Florida's requirements. We can generate customized templates that include all required information while helping you avoid common mistakes in the filing process.
One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling in Florida is the flexibility in curriculum. Florida law does not mandate any particular subjects or curriculum that must be taught in a home education program.
Parents have the freedom to choose the curriculum, textbooks, online programs, or any educational materials that they feel are appropriate for their child's needs. The statute defines homeschooling broadly as "sequentially progressive instruction" directed by the parent.
You can:
Academic Expectation: The only requirement is that the student demonstrate educational progress commensurate with their ability each year (as evaluated annually).
No hourly or daily instructional time requirements for home education in Florida.
Unlike public schools that operate on a set daily schedule and 180-day calendar, a homeschool can set its own schedule:
Suggestion: While Florida gives you complete freedom, it is wise to ensure you cover the basic skills (literacy, math, etc.) appropriate for your child's level and any subjects required for future goals (for instance, college-bound students will want to cover typical high school courses).
Our AI-powered curriculum planning tools can help you design a personalized educational program that aligns with your child's learning style, interests, and goals. Even though Florida doesn't require specific subjects, our tools can suggest appropriate resources, scope and sequence options, and learning activities based on your family's approach to homeschooling.
Florida is very accessible in terms of who can homeschool – the state has minimal qualification requirements for parents.
For home education programs, no special educational credentials or teacher's license is required for parents. The law states that "any parent" who complies with the homeschool statute's reporting and evaluation requirements may educate their child at home.
Florida's statutes deliberately do not impose a credential requirement on parents, reflecting a trust in the parent's ability to direct their child's education. The homeschool law focuses on educational progress of the student, not the credentials of the instructor.
No qualifications required. Parents can teach their children without any special credentials.
Requirements vary by school. Most umbrella schools do not require parents to have teaching credentials, but some may provide training or have specific expectations.
Must hold a valid Florida teaching certificate for the grade level and subjects being taught. This is the only option with a formal credential requirement.
You can utilize resources such as online courses, local tutors, co-ops, or dual enrollment at a college to assist in your homeschool. Florida does not require you to be the sole instructor; it only holds you accountable for making sure your child is educated.
While Florida doesn't require teaching credentials, our AI tools can help you develop teaching skills and methods tailored to your child's needs. We can provide lesson plan guidance, teaching techniques, and resources to help you feel confident in your role as your child's educator, regardless of your background.
Under Florida's home education law, homeschooled students must receive an annual educational evaluation to ensure they are making progress commensurate with their ability.
Florida law gives parents five options to fulfill the annual evaluation requirement:
The parent can choose a Florida-certified teacher to evaluate the student's progress by reviewing their portfolio of work.
The student may take a nationally norm-referenced achievement test administered by a certified teacher or another qualified person.
The student can take a Florida state student assessment used by the local school district.
The student may be evaluated by a Florida-licensed psychologist (including school psychologists).
Any other valid measurement tool agreed upon by the parent and the district superintendent.
Important: Parents can choose any one of these evaluation methods each year. You might use a teacher evaluation one year and a standardized test the next, as you prefer.
Annual evaluation required.
No state evaluation requirement.
No state evaluation requirement.
The superintendent will review the evaluation results to verify that the child is progressing. Florida law instructs the superintendent to accept any of the valid evaluation formats as evidence of progress.
If the evaluation indicates the student is not making adequate progress, or if a parent fails to submit any evaluation, the district may place the home education program on probation for a year to allow time for remediation. But as long as you provide an evaluation showing some educational growth each year, you will meet the requirement.
Our AI tools can help you prepare for annual evaluations by organizing portfolio materials, tracking educational progress throughout the year, and creating documentation that clearly demonstrates your child's learning journey. We can also help you identify which evaluation method might be most appropriate for your child's learning style and educational approach.
Florida's homeschool law has specific recordkeeping requirements that vary depending on which homeschooling option you choose.
The primary record you must keep is a portfolio of the student's work and educational activities. By law, the portfolio must include two main components:
Example entry: "March 3: Studied Chapter 5 of Math Textbook, read pages 50-60 of History Book, visited science museum (physics exhibit)."
Examples: Math worksheets from different months, writing samples, science lab notes, etc.
This portfolio must be preserved for two years. The superintendent has the right (though not an obligation) to review the portfolio to ensure compliance. If requested, they must give the parent 15 days' written notice before inspection. In practice, random portfolio inspections are rare in Florida.
Aside from the portfolio, parents should also keep copies of:
It's wise to maintain a separate file of all these homeschool records for each child, especially if your student is nearing college age.
No required hours per day or days per year
Many families choose to loosely follow a 180-day schedule for structure, and some evaluators may want to see that a child has been engaged in education regularly.
Must comply with private school attendance rules
Failure to maintain attendance according to the school's system could jeopardize your child's standing with the private school.
180 days of instruction required
Maintaining some work samples could be prudent to demonstrate what was taught, should questions arise.
Our AI tools can help you create and maintain comprehensive portfolios, log educational activities, and organize student work samples. Our digital portfolio system allows you to easily upload, categorize, and store records of your child's educational journey, ensuring you stay compliant with Florida's recordkeeping requirements while creating a valuable archive of your homeschooling experience.
Florida's approach to homeschool oversight is often characterized as moderate – there are required evaluations and some district involvement, but no heavy-handed monitoring of daily homeschool activities.
The annual evaluation reviewed by the local school district is the main way Florida monitors homeschooling families. The district superintendent (or their staff) will check that a yearly evaluation is submitted and that it indicates the student is making progress.
By law, the superintendent "shall accept the results of the annual educational evaluation" as long as it meets one of the required forms.
Non-Compliance: If no evaluation is received by the deadline, the home education program is considered in non-compliance. The district will typically send a written notice and provide a timeframe to submit the missing evaluation.
If an evaluation is submitted but it shows that the child is not making progress commensurate with ability, the superintendent must notify the parent in writing.
One-Year Probation: The law gives the parent a one-year probationary period to remediate and get the student back on track.
The superintendent can ask to see your homeschool portfolio with 15 days notice. However, there are important limitations:
Since the superintendent is not required to inspect portfolios, many districts choose to rely solely on the annual evaluation as the check on progress.
Legal Protection: Florida's law explicitly limits government overreach: school districts cannot impose additional requirements beyond what state law prescribes.
Districts cannot demand that you:
Districts must abide by Florida statutes on home education and cannot add extra local rules. If you encounter a district official asking for something not required, you are not obligated to comply with anything beyond the letter of the law.
| Homeschool Option | Who Oversees | What They Monitor | What They Don't Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Education Program | School District Superintendent |
|
|
| Umbrella Private School | Private School Administrators |
|
|
| Private Tutor | Local School Authorities |
|
|
If a family fails to comply with any legal option – for instance, they pull a child from school and neither file a homeschool intent nor enroll in a private school – the child would be considered truant. Florida has truancy laws which involve attendance officers and the court system if a child is not in an educational program. Homeschooling itself is not considered truancy as long as you have properly filed under one of the legal options.
Our AI tools can help you stay on top of evaluation deadlines, track submission of required documents, and generate reports that clearly demonstrate your child's educational progress. We can also provide guidance on responding to district inquiries and understanding your legal rights as a homeschooling family in Florida.
Florida has a well-established legal framework that protects the right of parents to homeschool, but it's important to understand the requirements to remain in compliance.
Florida statutes affirm the right of parents to direct the education of their children through home education. The law is designed to be parent-friendly and minimally invasive. School districts are not allowed to impose additional rules or "higher standards" beyond what the homeschool law requires.
Failing to submit the evaluation on time is the most frequent compliance issue. If the district doesn't receive an evaluation, they will send a notice of non-compliance. If you ignore that, they have grounds to terminate your home education program.
Telling a school principal you're withdrawing to homeschool is not the same as filing your official intent with the district. Another mistake would be not filing at all – keeping your child home without notifying the district can trigger truancy actions.
If you cannot produce a portfolio when legally asked, your program could be deemed non-compliant. Also, losing track of evaluation reports or proof of submission can create headaches if the district misplaces something.
If the umbrella school doesn't submit its annual registry to the state or if you don't submit required paperwork to the umbrella, your child could inadvertently be left "off the books."
Florida's law expects sequentially progressive instruction. If a parent were to file the intent but provide little to no education, the lack of progress would show up at evaluation time or in the portfolio, risking termination of the program.
If your child will return to public school, you move out of state, or they graduate, you should send a termination notice. Otherwise, the district might expect an evaluation and when none arrives, they mark non-compliance.
Florida law allows home education students to participate in public school sports and extracurriculars as long as they meet the same eligibility criteria. The district may ask for the latest evaluation or some verification that the student is academically "passable."
Education laws can change. Florida's homeschool law has been relatively stable, but it's good to stay informed via groups like FPEA or HEF about any legislative changes. A recent example is changes in scholarship programs: the Family Empowerment Scholarship was extended to certain homeschoolers.
Our AI tools can help you avoid common compliance pitfalls by providing deadline reminders, template letters (intent, termination, etc.), portfolio organization guidance, and updates on legal changes affecting Florida homeschoolers. Our system can also help you understand your legal rights if you encounter any issues with school district officials.
Florida provides strong legal protections for homeschooling families, and compliance is straightforward if you know the rules. The most crucial points are:
By doing so, you minimize any risk of legal trouble. Most issues that arise are resolved with simple communication and documentation. Homeschool advocacy groups (like HSLDA for legal defense, or FPEA for state-specific guidance) are available if you ever face a serious dispute, but such scenarios are uncommon when families follow the established procedures.
Homeschooling can be a challenging adventure, but Florida has a robust community of support for families. Statewide organizations and local groups provide information, networking, and sometimes political advocacy to protect homeschool freedoms.
The FPEA is a large statewide organization that exists solely to serve and empower homeschooling families across Florida. They provide guidance, resources, and events for home educators.
The FLHSA is a statewide support organization, described as a network founded to support "modern homeschool families" in a time of growth and changing needs.
Check their website or Facebook page for connections to local groups and current homeschooling news in Florida.
The Home Education Foundation is a Florida-specific lobbying and legal watch organization that "raises support and directs the lobbying for home education in Florida."
Supporting HEF (through donations or participation) helps maintain the legal freedoms Florida homeschoolers enjoy.
Sunshine State Homeschoolers is a statewide secular organization comprised of current homeschool families, aimed at providing support and enrichment opportunities.
Nearly every county or region in Florida has local homeschool support groups or co-ops. These range from informal park-day groups to structured cooperatives where parents collectively teach classes. The FPEA website lists many local groups and their contact information by region. Additionally, Facebook and Meetup are useful for finding local homeschool communities.
Florida is unique in offering the Florida Virtual School as a free resource for residents. FLVS has two options:
Homeschoolers commonly use FLVS Flex to take one or more classes (for example, a foreign language, advanced math, or an elective). To use FLVS Flex, you must be registered as a home education student with your district.
FLVS courses are aligned to Florida standards and taught by Florida-certified teachers via the internet, providing a valuable supplement to your homeschool curriculum, especially in high school.
Florida homeschoolers in high school (usually grades 10–12) can take advantage of dual enrollment at local community colleges or state colleges.
This program allows students to enroll in college courses for free (tuition is waived for homeschool dual enrollment by law) and earn college credits while still in high school.
Requirements typically include:
Dual enrollment is explicitly supported by Florida law (F.S. 1007.271) and enables advanced students to get a head start on college or explore subjects not easily taught at home.
Contact your local state college to find out their specific requirements and deadlines.
Many communities offer extracurricular programs open to homeschoolers:
Co-ops often organize these activities, or you can find them through support group networks.
Don't overlook your local public library system! Florida libraries often provide:
The library can be an invaluable partner in homeschooling. Many libraries even have dedicated homeschool librarians or special collections for curriculum resources.
Aside from the big FPEA convention, regional homeschool conferences or curriculum fairs take place throughout Florida:
These events provide opportunities to examine curriculum materials hands-on, attend workshops by experienced homeschoolers, and connect with the wider homeschool community.
While most families won't need legal intervention, several resources are available:
Legal issues are uncommon when complying with the law, but having access to these resources provides peace of mind for many homeschooling families.
HSLDA Florida InfoThe Florida Department of Education's School Choice Office has a Home Education section on its website that provides official information and resources:
This is a useful reference for authoritative answers to compliance questions. If you have questions, you can often call your district Home Education liaison or the FLDOE directly – they are there to help parents navigate compliance.
Visit FLDOE Home Education WebsiteOur AI tools can help you find local homeschool groups and resources specific to your area of Florida. We can also recommend support organizations based on your homeschooling style, connect you with virtual homeschool communities, and help you discover enrichment opportunities near you. Let us be your guide to the rich landscape of Florida homeschool resources!
Florida homeschooling families are far from alone. A wide network of support groups, co-ops, and resources exists to assist in everything from understanding legal requirements to enriching your child's education and finding social opportunities.
Whether you connect through FPEA or a local Facebook group, tapping into the homeschool community will make your journey easier and more enjoyable. Homeschooling in Florida is a diverse and well-supported endeavor – there are groups for every approach (classical, unschooling, religious, secular, special needs, etc.).
Take advantage of these organizations and resources to enhance your homeschool experience. Not only will they help you stay compliant with Florida's requirements, but they will also provide encouragement, ideas, and friendships along the way.
At Learning Corner, we're committed to supporting your homeschooling journey with innovative AI-powered tools designed specifically for Florida homeschool families.
Our AI-powered Compliance Assistant helps Florida homeschoolers stay on track with all legal requirements:
Take the stress out of compliance with automated tracking and reminders.
Design a personalized curriculum that aligns with Florida's flexible approach to homeschooling:
Our tool can help you design a program that will satisfy annual evaluation requirements while keeping your child engaged and learning.
Document your child's educational progress in a format that makes annual evaluations simple:
Demonstrate "sequentially progressive instruction" with clear, organized records that evaluators will appreciate.
Connect with other Florida homeschoolers and local resources:
Break down the isolation that some homeschoolers feel by connecting with Florida's vibrant homeschool community.
Our AI Tutor can provide personalized learning support in any subject, answer questions, explain concepts, and even suggest resources specific to Florida's educational standards. It's like having a patient, knowledgeable teaching assistant available 24/7 to support your homeschooling efforts.
Learning Corner offers several AI-powered tools that can assist Florida homeschoolers:
Analyze your student's activity to understand which concepts they're learning, helping Florida homeschool parents track academic progress across required subject areas.
Create custom quizzes and assessments to track student progress and ensure comprehensive coverage of Florida's required subject areas.
Generate customized worksheets for practice and reinforcement across all required Florida subject areas.
Create structured lesson plans that can serve as documentation of your instruction and help maintain recommended records for Florida homeschoolers.
Last Updated: April 24, 2025