Considering Home Education
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Home education is defined by Florida Statute as "sequentially progressive instruction of a student directed by his or her parent in order to satisfy the attendance requirements of SS. 1002.41, 1003.01 (4), and 1003.21 (1)." The law requires that the parent meet one of the following conditions:
- The parent must hold a valid regular Florida certificate in the subjects or grades to be taught and complies with any other requirements prescribed by law, or
The parent does not hold a valid regular certificate to teach but complies with the following requirements:
- Notifies the superintendent of schools of the county in which the parent resides of his or her intent to establish a home education program. (Our suggested Letter of Intent can be found here.)
- Maintains a portfolio of records and materials.
- Provides an annual educational evaluation.
More detailed information can be obtained on our Guide to Home Education and from the Florida Department of Education web site.
Upon receipt of your Letter of Intent, this office will send you a letter of notification that will provide you with documentation that your Home Education Program is registered with the state, as the law requires. If your child is presently enrolled in public school, he/she should continue attending until the school is notified by the Home Education Office.
For families wanting to utilize Hillsborough Virtual K-12 (HVK12) or Florida Virtual School (FLVS) courses as part of their home education program, please visit the Hillsborough Virtual K-12 (HVK12) website. Students must take a minimum of a full-year of English/Language Arts and Math to use the transcript for the annual evaluation. For middle and high school students, FLVS provides a course progressions guide for your convenience.
