Homeschooling
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Home Education Choices in FloridaFlorida Statute, Title XLVIII, Chapter 1002, defines student and parental rights and educational choices. Part III deals specifically with Educational Choices, and part IV with Home Education, Private Schools, and other options. Essentially, students learning at home are able to meet Florida's compulsory attendance law in one of three ways. 1) Establish a home education program (1002.41) If you choose this option, you may still join SFA's homeschool support group and take a limited number of classes. Start here if you wish to home school using this option. 2) Enroll in a private school offering an off-campus option, commonly referred to as "umbrella schools," "non-traditional private schools," and "600" schools. (1002.01 Definitions) Learn more about the private school option. 3) Establish a Private Tutoring Program. (1002.43) While any of the above choices will provide compliance with Florida’s compulsory attendance laws, each has different implications. Most differences involve recordkeeping and methods, but the main distinction is whether you want to be accountable to the state or to a private entity. Compare Options
*As of 2011, private school students are now eligible to participate in public school athletics and extracurricular activities. FL S. 1006.15(8)(a) is provided below. To view the full section (1006.15) please click here.
1006.15(8)(a): The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), in cooperation with each district school board, shall facilitate a program in which a middle school or high school student who attends a private school shall be eligible to participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic sport at a public high school, a public middle school, or a 6-12 public school that is zoned for the physical address at which the student resides if: 1. The private school in which the student is enrolled is not a member of the FHSAA and does not offer an interscholastic or intrascholastic athletic program. 2. The private school student meets the guidelines for the conduct of the program established by the FHSAA’s board of directors and the district school board. At a minimum, such guidelines shall provide: a. A deadline for each sport by which the private school student’s parents must register with the public school in writing their intent for their child to participate at that school in the sport. b. Requirements for a private school student to participate, including, but not limited to, meeting the same standards of eligibility, acceptance, behavior, educational progress, and performance which apply to other students participating in interscholastic or intrascholastic sports at a public school or FHSAA member private school. (b) The parents of a private school student participating in a public school sport under this subsection are responsible for transporting their child to and from the public school at which the student participates. The private school the student attends, the public school at which the student participates in a sport, the district school board, and the FHSAA are exempt from civil liability arising from any injury that occurs to the student during such transportation. (c) For each academic year, a private school student may only participate at the public school in which the student is first registered under sub-subparagraph (a)2.a. or makes himself or herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging in a practice. (d) The athletic director of each participating FHSAA member public school shall maintain the student records necessary for eligibility, compliance, and participation in the program. (e) Any non-FHSAA member private school that has a student who wishes to participate in this program must make all student records, including, but not limited to, academic, financial, disciplinary, and attendance records, available upon request of the FHSAA. (f) A student must apply to participate in this program through the FHSAA program application process. (g) Only students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA member private schools consisting of 125 students or fewer are eligible to participate in the program in any given academic year. |