One of the first questions I get from friends thinking about homeschooling is, “Is it even legal here, and where do I start?” The good news: Florida is a wonderful state to homeschool in, and you have more than one way to do it. Here’s a friendly overview of your options, what each one asks of you, and what a yearly portfolio can look like.
Your options at a glance
| Option | Who oversees it | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Home education program | You, with a notice filed with your county school district | File a notice of intent, keep a portfolio, and turn in a yearly evaluation. |
| Private school “umbrella” | A registered private school that offers home study | Enroll your child, teach at home, and report attendance and anything else the school requires. |
| Private tutor | A tutor who holds a Florida teaching certificate | The certified tutor teaches and keeps the records the law requires. |
| Virtual public school | Florida Virtual School or your district’s virtual program | Your child learns at home but is a public school student, with its teachers, courses and state tests. |
| PEP scholarship | Florida’s scholarship program, through Step Up For Students | Follow a student learning plan, use scholarship funds for approved expenses, and complete a yearly test. |
The home education program
This is what most people mean by “homeschooling” in Florida, and it’s the path our family took. You’re in charge of what your children learn and how; there are no required subjects, textbooks or hours. In return, the law asks for a few simple things:
- Notice of intent. Send a short written notice to your county school superintendent within 30 days of starting. It lists each child’s name, birth date and your address, and you sign it. Many counties have a form, but a simple letter works too.
- A portfolio. Keep records as you go: a log of your learning activities, the titles of what you read, and samples of your child’s work. Hold onto each year’s portfolio for two years. The district can ask to see it with 15 days’ written notice.
- An annual evaluation. Once a year, have your child’s progress evaluated in one of the approved ways (more below) and send the results to the district.
- Notice of termination. If you stop homeschooling, move out of the county, or your child graduates, send a notice of termination within 30 days.
Home education students can still take Florida Virtual School Flex courses for free, join many public school extracurricular activities, take part in dual enrollment at Florida colleges, and qualify for Bright Futures scholarships.
Private school (umbrella or cover school)
Some private schools offer a home-study program. Your child is enrolled as a private school student, you still teach at home, and you report attendance and grades to the school instead of filing with the district. Each umbrella school sets its own requirements and fees, so ask questions before you enroll.
Private tutor
If a parent or another adult holds a valid Florida teaching certificate for your child’s grade level, they can teach as a private tutor. This option has its own schedule and record-keeping rules, so look up the requirements before choosing it.
Virtual public school
Florida Virtual School Full Time and district virtual programs let children learn at home while enrolled in public school. That brings structure, certified teachers and a diploma, but also the public school calendar and state testing. It’s a great fit for some families. Legally it’s public school, not homeschool.
Personalized Education Program (PEP)
PEP is part of Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship. It gives families funds for approved education costs like curriculum, classes and tutoring. PEP students follow a student learning plan and take a nationally normed test each year, and they are not in the home education program at the same time. Spots and application windows are limited, so check the current dates early.
Choosing your annual evaluation
For the home education program, you pick one of these each year:
- Portfolio review by a Florida-certified teacher
The teacher looks over your portfolio and talks with your child about their learning. This is the most popular choice, and it’s what we do.
- A nationally normed achievement test
Given by a Florida-certified teacher.
- The state student assessment
Taken at a public school.
- An evaluation by a licensed psychologist
- Another valid method
Any other measure that you and your district superintendent agree on.
Turn in the evaluation each year by the anniversary of your notice of intent.
What a yearly portfolio might look like
A portfolio doesn’t need to be fancy. A binder, a box or a folder on your computer all work. Here’s a peek at one of ours:
Our 8th Grade Portfolio
Here’s the real portfolio we put together for our oldest daughter’s 8th grade year (2024–2025). Click through the pages below to see how it all comes together. Names and faces have been removed for privacy.
Want one of your own? This portfolio is a free Canva template, so you can copy it and fill it in with your own child’s year.
What’s Inside
- Cover page: the school year, grade, and a quick overview of the curriculum used and extras.
- About Me: a page she designed herself in Canva. We use it on the front of the binder that holds her completed work each year.
- Extras: “learning through living”: dance performances, a community Nutcracker, a flash mob, and video editing.
- Educational activities log: sample weekly planning pages showing lessons by subject and date.
- Subject sections: for math, English, reading, and science, a short summary of what she learned, followed by samples of tests, worksheets, and writing.
- History: field trips, documentaries, a presidential election project, and a George Washington research report.
- Year wrap-up: a reflection on her growth, with a few favorite photos from the year.
How to Make It Your Own
- Click the template button above, then click View template and Use template for new design. You’ll need a free Canva account. This makes your own copy, so you can change anything without affecting the original.
- Update the cover page with your child’s name, grade, school year, and the curriculum you used.
- Click any text box to type in your own summaries, and replace the sample photos with yours. Upload pictures under Uploads, then drag each one onto the photo you want to replace.
- Delete the pages you don’t need, and duplicate the ones you want more of. For example, copy a subject page for each subject you teach.
- When you’re finished, click Share, then Download, and choose PDF Print to save, print, or send it to your evaluator.
Tips for Making It Work for Your Family
- Build it as you go. Add photos and work samples every week or two instead of trying to put the whole year together in May. Future you will be so thankful!
- Snap your work samples. Take a quick photo of finished worksheets, tests, and projects with your phone, or use a free scanner app (the iPhone Notes app can scan documents too). Pick a few from the beginning, middle, and end of the year to show growth.
- Match your subjects. Rename the subject pages to fit what you actually teach: Bible, art, music, P.E., life skills, or a foreign language. There’s no wrong way to set it up.
- Count real life as learning. Field trips, co-op classes, sports, dance, volunteering, cooking, and documentaries all belong in your portfolio. They’re a big part of how homeschoolers learn!
- Keep your weekly log. Florida requires a log of educational activities, so add your planner pages or a simple weekly record to the activities log section.
- Write a short summary for each subject. A few sentences about what your child learned and how they grew help your evaluator (and you!) see the big picture.
- Simplify for little ones. For younger children, keep it to a cover page, a few photos, and one or two samples per subject. Older students can design pages themselves. Ours made her own About Me page!
- Make one for each child, each year. Once you have your first portfolio, just copy it in Canva and update it for the next year or the next child.
- Back it up and keep it. Download a PDF at the end of each year. Florida asks you to keep each portfolio for two years, and it becomes a sweet keepsake too.
- Protect your privacy. If you plan to share your portfolio online, remove names, blur faces, and cover any personal details on work samples.
Tip: Your portfolio doesn’t have to be this detailed! Florida law asks for a log of activities and samples of work. A simple binder with your log and a few samples per subject works too.
Questions I hear often
Do I need a teaching degree to homeschool in Florida?
No. Parents in the home education program don’t need any particular degree or certification. (A certificate only matters for the private tutor option.)
How many hours or days do we have to school?
The home education program doesn’t set a number of hours or days. Your portfolio and annual evaluation show your child’s progress.
Can my homeschooled child get a diploma?
In the home education program, you as the parent issue your child’s diploma. Florida colleges and universities accept home education students, and many use dual enrollment and test scores in admissions.
We just moved to Florida. What do I do first?
File your notice of intent with the new county within 30 days, and send a notice of termination to your previous district if needed.
Helpful links
- Florida Department of Education: Home Education
- Florida Statute 1002.41 (Home education programs)
- Florida Virtual School
- Step Up For Students (PEP and other scholarships)
- Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA)
I’m a homeschooling mom, not a lawyer. Laws change, so please check the Florida Department of Education and your county’s home education office for the current requirements.