Brevard County, Florida's source for homeschooling information.

Abiding by the Laws

To homeschool in Florida, you must either be registered with the county or with an "umbrella" school. There are pros and cons to either option.

Registered with County	Umbrella School
Pros
Able to participate in school activities if the school in your district is open to the idea.	Privacy -- Your child is a private school student in the eyes of the state.
Different set of rules (easier) for Bright Futures Scholarship
Higher priority in Florida Virtual School enrollment.
No charge to register with the county.
Cons
Little privacy -- You must report your child’s progress to the government school system.	Lowest priority to Florida Virtual School.
	Cost (though some are very inexpensive)
	More rigorous requirements for Bright Futures

Check the Florida state statutes on homeschooling here

Registering with the County

If you choose to register with the county, you must register within thirty days of pulling your child out of public or private school or within thirty days of his or her required start date in school according to the compulsory age of six. Click here for a sample "letter of intent" for Brevard County. After receiving your "letter of intent," the county will send you a confirmation letter that you should keep in a safe place for later reference. This letter serves as proof that your child is meeting the compulsory education laws.

You must maintain a "portfolio" of your child’s work and a list of educational materials used. A portfolio can be as simple as a couple pages of work from each of the student’s subjects. The list of materials should include all books that the child reads in addition to any texts, educational videos, or audio programs used. Click here for a materials form.

On the one year anniversary of registering with the county, your annual educational evaluation is due. You may choose to provide the county with one of the following:

1. A letter stating that a licensed, certified, Florida teacher has reviewed the portfolio and had a discussion with the student, and that the child has made progress commensurate with his ability. This letter must be signed by the teacher and show his or her valid license number.
2. Results of a nationally normed achievement test (like the CAT) administered by a certified teacher. (Any state license will do for this one.)
3. A state assessment (the FCAT) administered by personnel of the school district. (You may have to pay for this service.)
4. Evaluation by a psychologist or school psychologist.

The most popular option is number one. There are many homeschool-friendly, certified teachers available for this service, which usually costs about $25 per student. You may ask for the names of these teachers on the Brevard Homeschool discussion list.

Umbrella Schools

You do not need to send a letter to the county if you enroll in an umbrella school, also known as 600 school, a nonprofit, private school registered with the state of Florida. Umbrella schools keep a transcript for your child, and as far as the state is concerned, your child is enrolled in private school rather than being homeschooled. Umbrella schools may require you to sign a statement of faith, meet certain standards, take certain courses, or attend mandatory events. You may also have to provide vaccine records (or an exemption form), attendance records, standardized test results, and report cards. Check carefully into the requirements and costs of each to see which will meet your family’s needs. Here are a few of the many umbrella schools around Florida.

Allendale Academy
Contact Pat Carter at 727-531-2481 or Email

Atrium School
Contact Elise LaTorre, MS-Director at 561-496-3044 or Email

Brevard Christian Home Educators, Inc.
Email
321-454-2445,
321-635-8008

Florida Learning Academy Private School, Inc.
Email the Academy

The Florida Family Learning Academy
Email Kathy

Heritage Christian Homeschoolers Support Group & Co-op
Email Sherri
373-4005 (1-4PM M, Th, F)

New Covenant Christian School
Email NCCS
724-9603

Sancta Familia Academy, Inc.
Email SFA
676-6461

York Christian Academy
Email Valerie Hons here, or here.

Special Needs Children

Many families find that they are able to make better progress with their special needs children through home education. As a resident of the county (or any county in Florida, for that matter), you are entitled to the services that the School Board offers EVEN WHEN you homeschool. If you would like your child tested for learning disabilities or for the gifted program, call the county’s Exceptional Education department at 321-631-1911 and request assistance. After the testing is completed, you may decide whether you would like to avail yourself of the available classroom and therapy options. Remember that these are OPTIONS, not requirements. You may decide to use the results of the testing to pursue your own therapy methods.

If your child has documented disabilities and was enrolled in public school during the past year, he or she is probably eligible for a McKay Scholarship, which pays tuition for enrollment in the private school of your choice. Some private schools will provide you with the curriculum and support to homeschool your child when you enroll using the McKay scholarship. To get started, read the requirements on this page, and ask on the Brevard Homeschool discussion group about private schools that are homeschool oriented.

An outstanding book for hope, inspiration, and helpful ideas is Homeschooling the Challenging Child by Christine M. Field. Written from a Christian perspective, it offers practical suggestions and many personal experiences of families homeschooling special needs children.

Additional sources of information for home education of special needs children:

NATHHAN: National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network