How to Homeschool Legally in Florida: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Everything Florida families need to know to start homeschooling confidently, legally, and without stress — backed by Florida statute.

April 14, 2026 • 18 min read • Trusted by 26,300+ families

More Florida families than ever are making the move from homeschooling to a structured private online school — and for good reason. Private virtual academies offer the flexibility of home-based learning combined with certified teachers, structured curriculum, and official academic records. But the transition comes with paperwork, and getting it wrong can create legal headaches.

This guide walks you through exactly what Florida law requires so you can make the switch confidently and correctly.

📚 What's In This Guide

Who Must Attend School in Florida

Florida's 3 Legal Homeschool Options

Step 1: File Your Notice of Intent

Step 2: Choose Your Curriculum

Step 3: Build Your Portfolio

Step 4: Complete Your Annual Evaluation

Extracurriculars & Public School Perks

Homeschooling Through High School

Struggling Readers: What To Do

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Has to Attend School in Florida?

Before diving into homeschooling, it helps to understand Florida's compulsory education law. Florida requires all children between the ages of 6 and 16 to be enrolled in a school of record. This doesn't have to be a public school — it can be a private school, charter school, or a registered home education program.

Children who are 5 years old can begin kindergarten homeschooling, but are not legally required to register with the superintendent or submit annual evaluations at that age. Many parents choose to homeschool kindergarten informally and then formally register when their child turns 6.

Florida's 3 Legal Homeschool Options

Florida law provides three distinct legal pathways for parents who want to educate their children at home. Each option has different requirements, levels of oversight, and degrees of flexibility. Understanding the difference is the very first decision you'll make as a Florida homeschool family.

Most Popular

Option 1: Home Education Program

• File Notice of Intent once

• No teacher qualification required

• No required subjects

• No set school days/hours

• Annual evaluation required

• Portfolio required

• Governed by Fla. Stat. §1002.41

Umbrella School

Option 2: Private / Umbrella School

• Enroll in a private "umbrella" school

• No state notification required

• School sets its own requirements

• School handles accountability

• Governed by Fla. Stat. §1002.42

• Varies widely by school

Structured

Option 3: Private Tutor

• Tutor must be FL-certified teacher

• 180 school days required

• Tutor keeps records

• No state notification needed

• Governed by Fla. Stat. §1002.43

• Least common option

The vast majority of Florida homeschool families use Option 1 — the Home Education Program — because it offers the most flexibility and parental control. The rest of this guide focuses on Option 1, as it's the most common path and the one most families are asking about.

ℹ️ What About Umbrella Schools?

Some Florida parents prefer enrolling in a "cover" or "umbrella" school (Option 2) because it provides additional structure, community, and removes the need to file directly with your county. These are private schools that enroll homeschool students. If you go this route, your accountability is to the private school, not your county superintendent — so requirements vary by school. Research local Florida umbrella schools carefully before enrolling.

Step 1: File Your Notice of Intent (Letter of Intent)

This is your very first legal requirement and it's simpler than it sounds. Before you begin homeschooling your child (or within 30 days of starting), you must send a Notice of Intent — also called a Letter of Intent (LOI) — to the superintendent of your county's school district.

How to Write and Submit Your Notice of Intent

Your Notice of Intent is simply a letter notifying the school district that your child will be educated at home. By Florida law, it must include:

• Full legal name(s) of each child being homeschooled

• Date(s) of birth of each child

• Your home address

• Parent or guardian's signature

That's it. You do not need to include your curriculum plans, teaching qualifications, or any other information. The superintendent is legally required to accept and register your program immediately — they cannot require additional information.

Where to send it: Look up your county's school district website for the exact address. Many counties have their own downloadable form you can use, or you can write a simple letter yourself.

How to send it: Send via certified mail with return receipt requested. Keep a copy for your records — you'll need the date you sent it, as your annual evaluation is due on that same date each year.

⚠️ Important: Only Send It Once

You only need to file this notice ONE time — not every year. However, if you move to a different county in Florida, you must file a new Notice of Intent with the superintendent in your new county. If you stop homeschooling for any reason, you must file a Notice of Termination (which must include a copy of your child's most recent annual evaluation).

Step 2: Choose Your Curriculum

One of the most exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) parts of homeschooling is choosing what and how your child will learn. The great news: Florida law does not require any specific subjects or curriculum. There are no mandated courses, no required hours per day, and no required school days per year (for Home Education Program families).

You have complete freedom to design an educational experience that fits your child's learning style, interests, strengths, and pace. Here's a breakdown of your main options:

Curriculum Options Florida Families Love

Boxed / All-in-One Curriculum

Companies like Abeka, BJU Press, Sonlight, and Time4Learning provide complete grade-level curriculum packages with lesson plans, workbooks, and assessments already built in. These are popular with parents who want structure and don't want to plan everything themselves.

Florida Virtual School (FLVS)

FLVS Flex is a state-funded online school available to all Florida students at no cost. Homeschool families can use FLVS courses as part or all of their curriculum. FLVS even provides certified teacher support, keeping official transcripts, and access to a school counselor — making it a popular supplement for homeschool families, especially in middle and high school.

Eclectic / Custom Mix

Many experienced homeschool parents mix and match resources based on their child's needs. A child might use a math program from one provider, a reading program from another, and attend a co-op for science. This approach requires more planning but offers maximum personalization.

Online Programs & Live Instruction

Online programs that provide live, teacher-led instruction have become increasingly popular — especially for subjects like reading, writing, and math where a skilled teacher makes a significant difference. Programs like iTutorExpress Virtual Academy's Reading Rescue offer structured, small-group online sessions led by certified teachers, giving homeschool parents expert instructional support without needing to teach everything themselves.

💡 Pro Tip for New Homeschoolers

Don't feel like you have to have everything figured out on Day 1. Many Florida homeschool families try one curriculum and switch in the middle of the year if it isn't working. You have that freedom. Start simple, stay consistent, and adjust as you learn what works best for your child.

Step 3: Build and Maintain Your Portfolio

The portfolio is one of the two ongoing legal requirements for Florida home educators (the other being the annual evaluation). Your portfolio is your record of your child's education — it's not a scrapbook, and it doesn't have to be fancy, but it does need to contain specific elements.

Your Activity Log

A running record of what educational activities your child does — written at the time the activity happens (not reconstructed later). Your log should include:

• The date of the activity

• What was covered (subject or topic)

• Titles of any books or reading materials used

This can be as simple as a notebook, a calendar, a spreadsheet, or a planning app. Many families use a simple daily or weekly planner. The key is that it's kept as you go, not all at once at the end of the year.

Work Samples

Physical or digital samples of your child's actual work throughout the year. These should show variety and progression. Good samples include:

• Writing assignments and essays

• Completed worksheets or workbook pages

• Math tests or quizzes

• Creative projects, drawings, or art

• Photos of hands-on projects, science experiments, or field trips

• Reading lists and book reports

You don't need to save every piece of work — just enough samples from across the year to show that learning consistently took place and that your child made progress.

How Long Do You Keep the Portfolio?

Florida law requires you to preserve your portfolio for at least 2 years. The county superintendent may request to inspect it, but only after providing you with 15 days' written notice. Portfolio inspections are rare and are only done to verify the portfolio exists and meets legal requirements — the superintendent cannot evaluate or grade its academic content.

Step 4: Complete Your Annual Evaluation

Every year, Florida requires home educators to conduct an annual evaluation showing that their child has made educational progress at a level commensurate with his or her ability. This is filed with the county superintendent's office on the anniversary of your Notice of Intent date.

Florida gives you five options to choose from for the evaluation. You pick the one that works best for your family and child:

Option 1 — Portfolio Review by FL-Certified Teacher What it is: A Florida-certified teacher reviews your portfolio and has a discussion with your child. Best for: Most popular option — informal, affordable, no testing pressure.

Option 2 — Nationally Normed Achievement Test What it is: A standardized test (like the Iowa Test, Stanford, etc.) administered by a certified teacher. Best for: Families who want to track academic progress with concrete data.

Option 3 — Florida State Assessment What it is: Florida's state assessments (FAST, FSAA) taken through your local school district. Best for: Students who are planning to return to public school.

Option 4 — Psychological Evaluation What it is: A formal evaluation completed by a licensed Florida psychologist or school psychologist. Best for: Children with learning differences, special needs, or non-traditional learners.

Option 5 — Mutually Agreed Method What it is: Any other evaluation method that both the parent and the superintendent agree upon together. Best for: Unique situations that don't fit neatly into the other four options.

1. Portfolio Review by FL-Certified Teacher

A Florida-certified teacher reviews your portfolio and has a discussion with your child

Most popular option — informal, affordable, no testing pressure

2. Nationally Normed Achievement Test

A standardized test (like the Iowa Test, IOWA, Stanford, etc.) administered by a certified teacher

Families who want to track academic progress with data

3. Florida State Assessment

Florida's state assessments (FAST, FSAA) through your local district

Students planning to return to public school

4. Psychological Evaluation

Evaluation by a licensed Florida psychologist or school psychologist

Children with learning differences or special needs

5. Mutually Agreed Method

Any other evaluation method agreed upon by the parent and the superintendent

Unique situations that don't fit other options

After the Evaluation: What Happens?

Once completed, your evaluator provides you with a brief written letter confirming that your child demonstrated educational progress. You mail this letter to your county superintendent's office (certified mail is recommended). The superintendent reviews and accepts the evaluation, and it goes into your child's file. That's it — you're done for the year.

Extracurricular Activities & Public School Perks

One of the biggest concerns new homeschool families have is whether their children will miss out on sports, clubs, and social activities. In Florida, the answer is reassuringly simple: homeschool students have full legal access to public school extracurricular activities.

• Interscholastic Athletics — Homeschool students can participate in their local public school's sports teams under Florida Statute §1006.15

• Dual Enrollment — High school homeschool students can take college courses tuition-free under Florida's Dual Enrollment program (§1007.271)

• Florida Virtual School (FLVS) — Free online courses available to all Florida homeschool students with certified teacher support

• Career & Technical Programs — Access to CTE programs at public schools in many counties

• Special Education Services — Homeschool students with disabilities may access diagnostic testing through their local public schools

• Homeschool Co-ops — Florida has a thriving network of co-ops offering classes, socialization, and extracurriculars designed specifically for homeschool families

• Homeschooling Through High School & Graduation

• Many families who start homeschooling in elementary school wonder if they can continue all the way through high school. Not only is it possible — thousands of Florida homeschool students go on to college, earn scholarships, and thrive professionally every year.

• High School Transcripts

• As a homeschool parent in Florida, you create and issue your child's high school transcript. This document lists all courses taken from grades 9–12, credit hours, grades, and cumulative GPA. Many parents use transcript software or templates available from homeschool associations like FPEA (Florida Parent Educators Association).

• Students who take FLVS courses receive official FLVS transcripts — which carry significant weight with college admissions offices and scholarship programs.

• Graduation

• In Florida, homeschool parents decide when their student is ready to graduate. Unlike public school, there are no mandatory exit exams for home educators. Upon graduation, parents can issue a homeschool diploma and complete a Homeschool Completion Affidavit signed in front of a notary — this is Florida's legal equivalent of a high school diploma for homeschool graduates.

• When Your Child is Struggling to Read: What Homeschool Parents Need to Know

• Reading is the foundation of every other subject. A child who struggles with reading struggles across the board — and for many Florida families, concerns about a child's reading development is exactly what pushes them toward homeschooling in the first place.

• The good news: homeschooling gives you the ability to address reading struggles directly and immediately, without waiting for an IEP meeting or being told "he'll catch up eventually." You can find the right program, work at your child's pace, and get real results.

• The challenge: knowing what the right program actually is, and having the expertise to implement it.

• 📖 Reading Rescue by iTutorExpress Virtual Academy

• Reading Rescue is a structured online reading program for K–5 homeschool students designed specifically for struggling readers. It combines live small-group instruction with sequenced, phonics-based curriculum led by certified teachers — helping children build decoding skills, fluency, and reading comprehension in a consistent, supportive environment. Families enroll on a program basis, with sessions scheduled flexibly around your homeschool day. You don't have to be a reading expert to help your child succeed — that's what we're here for.

When evaluating any reading program for your homeschooler, look for these key elements:

• Explicit phonics instruction — Children learning to read need direct, systematic phonics teaching

• Small group or 1-on-1 instruction — Smaller groups mean more feedback and less time to fall behind

• Consistent teacher — Relationship and continuity matter enormously for struggling readers

• Progress tracking — You should be able to see concrete improvement over time

• Qualified, certified instructors — Not all reading tutors are created equal

• Flexibility for homeschool schedules — Daytime availability that works around your school day

Sources & Legal References

1. Florida Statute §1002.41 — Home Education Programs: leg.state.fl.us

2. Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA) — Homeschool Requirements: fpea.com

3. Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) — How to Comply with Florida's Homeschool Law: hslda.org

4. Florida Virtual School (FLVS) — 9 Simple Rules for Homeschooling in Florida: flvs.net

5. Miacademy — Florida Homeschool Laws Made Simple (2025 Guide): miacademy.co

6. Association of Florida Evaluators (AFE) — Evaluation Requirements: afevaluators.com

7. Lee County Schools — Annual Evaluation / Portfolio Requirements (2025)

8. FPEA — Preparing for the Annual Homeschool Evaluation in Florida

How iTutorExpress Can Help

We work with K–5 students across 11 ESA-approved states, including Florida. Our structured virtual academy model was built specifically for families who need results — not just homework help.

If your 3rd grader is at risk of not passing the Reading Guarantee, we can help you build a plan before it's too late.

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iTutorExpress is a live bilingual K-5 virtual academy using the Science of Reading model. ESA-approved in Florida and other participating states.