Florida is moderately regulated: file a notice of intent, keep a portfolio of work, and complete an annual evaluation of your choice. An umbrella (private) school enrollment is a popular alternative with different rules.
Homeschooling is legal and very common in Florida, and the home education statute is refreshingly clear. Three things anchor it: a one-time notice of intent to your county superintendent, an ongoing portfolio of your child's work, and an annual evaluation showing progress at a level commensurate with your child's ability.
The annual evaluation is more flexible than parents fear — you pick the method, most commonly a review by a Florida-certified teacher or a nationally normed standardized test. Only the evaluation result, not your portfolio, goes to the district.
Alternatively, many Florida families enroll in a private umbrella school that accepts home-based students. That route skips the district notice, portfolio, and evaluation, replacing them with the umbrella school's own attendance and reporting policies.
Send a written notice of intent to your county school superintendent within 30 days of starting your home education program. It is one-time, not annual. When you stop homeschooling, file a notice of termination.
Maintain a portfolio: a log of educational activities made contemporaneously with instruction, plus samples of writings, worksheets, and creative materials. Keep it for two years; the superintendent may inspect it with 15 days written notice, though inspections are rare.
Each year, file an evaluation with the district. Options include: a certified teacher reviewing the portfolio and talking with your child, a nationally normed test administered by a certified teacher, a state student assessment used by the district, a psychologist's evaluation, or another method agreed with the superintendent.
Enrolling in a Florida private school that serves home-educated students moves you out of the home education statute entirely — no district notice, portfolio, or annual evaluation. You follow the school's attendance and reporting rules instead. Note that some scholarship programs treat the two routes differently.
Send your notice of intent to the county superintendent within 30 days of beginning (or enroll in an umbrella school instead and skip district filings).
Withdraw your child from their current school in writing.
Start the portfolio immediately: a simple activity log kept as you go, plus periodic work samples per subject.
Choose your annual evaluation method early — most families line up a certified teacher evaluator or plan a spring standardized test.
Pick a curriculum that logs daily activity and stores work samples automatically, so your Florida portfolio builds itself all year.
Whatever Florida asks for — attendance, subject coverage, progress evidence, transcripts — Cullinan Academy tracks it automatically as your kids learn: verified mastery records, time-on-task, printable transcripts with GPA, and state report templates. No spreadsheet required.
You must evaluate every year, but testing is only one option. A portfolio review by a Florida-certified teacher is the most popular method and involves no formal test.
The district may place the program on a one-year probation with a remediation plan. Progress is measured against your child's own ability level, and families get the chance to show improvement.
Rarely. The superintendent can request to inspect it with 15 days written notice, but routine inspections are uncommon. Keep it current for two years regardless.
A private school that enrolls home-based students. It removes the district notice, portfolio, and evaluation requirements, replacing them with the school's own policies and usually a fee. Families choose based on paperwork preference and scholarship considerations.
Yes. Florida law gives home education students access to interscholastic extracurriculars at their local school — a benefit tied to the home education (district notice) route.
Home education parents issue their own diploma and transcript. Florida homeschool graduates qualify for state college admission and, with the right coursework, Bright Futures scholarships.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes, and districts sometimes apply it differently. Verify current requirements with your state's department of education or a local homeschool association before filing anything. Content last reviewed 2026-07.