Frequently Asked Questions

The fact that you are their parent and love them best is qualification enough!  Thankfully the great state of Florida does not require a parent to hold any special degree or certificate to be able to manage their child’s education.

Click the JOIN NOW button on the home page. You will be brought to a page where you can fill out a new membership request form.

You will print this yourself from the website. Log in and then go toward the bottom of the menu on the left side, you should see a link called Membership Card. Click on that and it will bring you to a page where you can open up a PDF that you can print.

Within 30 days of beginning your home education program a letter of intent to homeschool needs to be sent to the superintendent. To avoid truancy allegations, we would recommend doing this immediately, especially if you are withdrawing your child from a public or private school. The letter of intent needs to state that you plan to establish a home education system compliant with Florida Statutes 1002.41. It needs to state the names and dates of birth of the child(ren) you wish to homeschool. It also needs to state your address, and include the parent’s signature. In Pinellas County, the address to send this letter of intent to is:

Pinellas County Schools
Attention: Home Education
P.O. Box 2942
Largo, Florida 33779-2942

We encourage you to send your notice return-receipt requested to prove that it reached its destination.

For the sake of your convenience, you may call the Coordinator of Partnership Schools and Child Care Programs at (727)588-6209 and request a homeschool packet that includes a letter of intent form. Any information asked of you beyond name, date of birth and address, goes above and beyond the scope of the law and does not have to be answered.

Your six responsibilities as a home educator, as outlined in the Guide to Homeschooling in Florida, are as follows:

1. You must submit a letter of intent to your school district
2. Maintian a portfolio
3. Make your portfolio available for inspection by the school district superintendent upon a 15-day written notice
4. Submit an annual evaluation (by an independent and licensed evaluator) for each of your children whom you homeschool
5. Keep your child’s portfolio for two years
6. Be sure to send a letter of termination of your homeschool if your homeschool has been completed, you move from the county, or you enroll your child in a public or private school.