How to Homeschool in Florida (2026 Guide)

The short version

Florida sits in the middle of the regulatory spectrum. Under the standard home education statute (1002.41), you file a notice of intent with your county school superintendent, have your child evaluated annually, and maintain a portfolio of records for at least two years. Subject requirements are minimal — the statute lists a few areas but does not mandate a specific curriculum.

Florida also offers state-funded scholarship programs that can significantly change your obligations. The Personalized Education Program (PEP) replaces the standard homeschool requirements entirely and provides roughly $8,000 per year in education funds. If your child has a qualifying disability, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) provides $10,000–$35,000 per year and can be used alongside the standard homeschool pathway. See the Scholarship Programs section below for details.

Legal basis

Florida’s home education law is found in Florida Statute 1002.41. This single statute defines what a home education program is, who is responsible for operating one, and what obligations parents must meet. When you are researching your requirements, this is the primary source to read — not county guidance documents, not blog posts, and not what another parent told you at a co-op meeting.

The Florida Department of Education’s home education page is the official state resource and is a good companion to reading the statute itself.

Notice of intent

Before you begin — or within 30 days of beginning — your home education program, you must file a notice of intent with the superintendent of the school district where you live.

What to include in the notice:

• The names, addresses, and birth dates of the children being home educated
• A signed statement from the parent or guardian indicating their intent to establish and operate a home education program

The notice is typically one to two pages. Florida’s county school districts vary in how they process these — some have online forms, some require a mailed or in-person submission. Contact your specific county’s school district office to find out their current process. A web search for “[your county] school district home education notice of intent” will usually get you to the right page quickly.

You must also notify the superintendent if you terminate your home education program.

Required subjects

Florida Statute 1002.41 requires that the home education program provide instruction in the following areas:

• Reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies
• The subjects must be taught in English

The statute does not specify how many hours per day or year must be spent on these subjects, what textbooks or curriculum you must use, or what grade-level outcomes you need to hit. You have broad discretion over how to teach these subjects.

Other subjects — art, music, physical education, foreign languages, electives — are at your discretion. You are not required to mirror a public school schedule or curriculum map.

Annual evaluation

Florida requires an annual evaluation of each home-educated student. The purpose is to demonstrate that the student is making progress appropriate to their age and ability level. You must maintain a portfolio (see the Record Keeping section below) as part of this evaluation process.

Acceptable evaluation methods under Florida law:

1. A Florida-certified teacher reviews the portfolio and conducts an oral evaluation of the student, then provides a written evaluation.
2. A standardized test administered by a Florida-certified teacher or at a testing center. The test must be one of the nationally normed tests approved by the Florida DOE.
3. A state student assessment test used by the public schools (though this is rarely used by homeschool families).
4. A psychologist licensed under Florida law evaluates the student.
5. Any other method agreed upon by the parent and the superintendent of the school district.

The most commonly used option is a portfolio review by a certified teacher, which many parents find more holistic and less stressful for children than standardized tests. Florida has a robust community of certified teachers who specialize in homeschool portfolio evaluations — organizations like the Florida Parent-Educators Association (FPEA) can help you find one.

The evaluation must be completed once per year, and the written documentation must be placed in the student’s portfolio.

Record keeping

Florida requires you to maintain a portfolio for each home-educated student. The portfolio must be retained for two years after the school year ends.

What goes in the portfolio:

• A log of educational activities, reading materials, and resources used throughout the year
• Work samples from each required subject area

There is no prescribed format for the log. Many families use a simple spreadsheet or a journal. The key is that it demonstrates ongoing educational activity across the required subjects.

The portfolio does not need to be submitted to anyone unless there is a concern raised under the statute. You maintain it; a certified teacher reviews it at evaluation time.

If you are audited or if the superintendent has reason to believe your program is not meeting the statute’s requirements, they may request to review the portfolio. Keeping it organized and current protects you.

Scholarship programs for homeschool families

Florida funds several scholarship programs through Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs), the largest being Step Up For Students. Two of these programs are directly relevant to families who educate at home.

Personalized Education Program (PEP)

The PEP scholarship is the most significant alternative to the standard 1002.41 home education pathway. It provides an Education Savings Account (ESA) worth approximately $8,000 per year (varies by county and grade level) that can be used for curriculum, instructional materials, tutoring, testing fees, dual enrollment, digital materials, and Florida Virtual School courses.

The critical distinction: When you accept a PEP scholarship, you are no longer classified as a “home education student” under 1002.41. You become a “personalized education student” under Florida Statute 1002.01(2). This means you terminate your existing notice of intent with the school district and become accountable to the SFO (Step Up For Students) instead of the county superintendent.

What PEP replaces:

• No notice of intent to the district (you withdraw it)
• No portfolio requirement
• No annual evaluation submitted to the district

What PEP requires instead:

• A Student Learning Plan submitted annually through the Step Up For Students portal by May 31
• A nationally normed, standardized test taken each year, with results submitted to Step Up For Students before renewal
• You must not be enrolled full-time in a public or private school

Eligibility: All Florida K–12 students qualify regardless of household income. Income determines priority for enrollment — families at or below 185% of the federal poverty level and renewing students get first priority. The program had a statutory cap of 140,000 students for the 2026–27 school year.

If you leave PEP: If you exit the scholarship (voluntarily or otherwise), you must re-register with your school district as a 1002.41 home education student within 30 days.

For application details, visit stepupforstudents.org.

Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA)

If your child has a qualifying disability — including autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, visual or hearing impairments, and many others — the FES-UA scholarship provides substantially more funding: roughly $10,000 to $35,000 per year depending on the child’s level of services.

Unlike PEP, FES-UA does not replace your 1002.41 obligations. You keep your notice of intent, maintain your portfolio, and complete your annual evaluation as usual. The scholarship funds are an addition to your standard homeschool program, not a replacement for it.

What FES-UA funds can cover:

• Curriculum and instructional materials
• Therapies (ABA, speech-language, occupational, physical)
• Private tutoring
• Annual homeschool evaluation fees
• College savings (Florida 529)
• Specialized summer and after-school programs

Eligibility requires a qualifying diagnosis validated by an IEP (from any state, within the past three years) or by a licensed Florida physician or psychologist. Visit stepupforstudents.org for the full list of qualifying conditions and application details.

Withdrawing from public school

If your child is currently enrolled in a public or private school, you need to formally withdraw them before beginning home education.

For public school students: Submit a written notice to the school principal stating that you are withdrawing the child to begin a home education program. There is no required form — a signed letter with the child’s name, grade, and your intention to home-educate is sufficient. The school is required to release the child’s records to you upon request.

Keep a copy of the withdrawal letter for your records. Some districts will provide written confirmation of the withdrawal; if yours does, keep that as well.

Support and community

Florida has one of the largest and most active homeschool communities in the country, partly because the state’s moderate regulatory environment attracts families who want structure but not over-regulation.

Florida Parent-Educators Association (FPEA) is the largest homeschool organization in the state. They host the largest homeschool convention in the country (held annually in Orlando), maintain a directory of certified teachers who conduct portfolio evaluations, and offer support for new homeschoolers. Their website is fpea.com.

Most Florida counties also have local homeschool co-ops, support groups, and hybrid programs. A search for “[your county] homeschool co-op” will surface local options. Facebook groups organized by county are often the most active places to find other homeschooling families nearby.