Getting Started – Homeschooling in Florida
There are five ways to satisfy the State of Florida’s compulsory attendance
laws:
o
Public school
o
Parochial, religious or denominational school
o
Nontraditional private school
o
Home-education program
o
Private tutoring program
The
two choices considered to be the legal methods for home-education
by
the state of Florida are by enrollment in a nontraditional private
school, or by entering the home-education program. The attendance
laws
also state that a child age 6-16 must attend school regularly. This
gives some flexibility for the parent beginning a home education
program for a kindergartener. Refer to ‘Starting Point: An Introduction to
Homeschooling in
Florida’ for further information.
Nontraditional private schools.
Enrollment in a private school will “umbrella” or cover a family’s
homeschool. These schools were formerly called ‘600’ schools but
are
now called nontraditional private schools. The nontraditional
private school is required to adhere to the laws that govern private
schools. Thus reporting of enrollment lists and attendance records
etc,
is required. Nontraditional private schools vary considerably in
the
level of accountability, curriculum, and testing requirements. For
choosing the best option for you, please review ‘Starting Point: An
Introduction to Homeschooling in Florida.’
Please note that if enrolled in a private school you are not required
to notify the
county.
Home-education program
The Home Education Act
(Florida statutes 1002.41)
allows a parent to home
educate their children. There are six home-schooling
responsibilities outlined
in the statute and are summarized here. Please
refer to ‘Starting Point:
An Introduction to
Homeschooling in Florida’ for detailed information.
