What a Florida homeschool notice of intent is for
In Florida, a home education program is how a parent meets the state's compulsory attendance law while teaching their children at home. The program starts when the parent files a notice of intent with the district school superintendent of their county, and the law is deliberately simple: a signed, written notice with each child's full legal name, address and birthdate, filed within 30 days of starting. The district must accept it and register the program, and may not ask for anything more unless the child uses a district program or service.
What follows the notice is where families get tripped up: keeping a portfolio that meets the statute, filing an annual evaluation by one of five permitted methods, and filing a termination notice with the final evaluation when homeschooling ends. This template provides each document: the notice of intent with a delivery record, the notice of termination, an annual evaluation cover letter listing the five methods, a certified teacher's evaluation form, a weekly portfolio log that names reading materials by title, and a key dates tracker covering every deadline in section 1002.41.
When to use it
Use it when you start homeschooling in Florida under section 1002.41, whether your child has never been enrolled in school or you are withdrawing them from a public or private school. Use the termination notice when you stop, and the evaluation forms each year.
It is not for families enrolled in a private school that offers home study (sometimes called an umbrella school), who report through that school instead, or for virtual public school students. Families using state scholarship programs for home education students should also follow the scholarship's rules.
What's inside
The full list of sections and fields in this template, in the order they appear.
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Notice of intent
- County superintendent
- Parent's name
- Children's full legal names
- Addresses
- Birthdates
- Date established
- Signature
- Delivery record
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Notice of termination
- Termination date
- Children
- Optional reason
- Final evaluation attached
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Annual evaluation
- Filing cover letter
- Five statutory methods
- Certified teacher's evaluation
- Certificate number
- Finding of progress
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Portfolio and dates
- Contemporaneous activity log
- Reading materials by title
- Work samples
- Key dates tracker
- Moving counties
Preview pages
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How to complete the forms
- Address the right county. Send the notice to the superintendent of the county where you live, using the district's home education office address.
- List every child. Give each child's full legal name, address and birthdate, and nothing more.
- Sign and date it. The notice must be signed by the parent.
- File within 30 days. Send it by a method that proves delivery, keep a copy and record the date.
- Start the portfolio. Log activities as you teach, with reading materials by title, and keep work samples.
- Choose an evaluation method. Arrange the evaluation before the anniversary of your notice.
- File the evaluation. Send it each year with the cover letter.
- Keep records for 2 years. Be ready to share the portfolio if the district asks with 15 days' notice.
- File a termination when you stop. Send it with the final evaluation within 30 days.
Example: a completed notice excerpt
A fictional family in Orange County starts homeschooling two children on August 11, 2026:
To: District School Superintendent, Orange County School District. Children: Maya Elena Rivera, 418 Cypress Grove Lane, Orlando, born March 3, 2015; Lucas Andrés Rivera, same address, born November 19, 2018. Effective: August 11, 2026. Filed: August 20, 2026, by certified mail, return receipt requested.
The parent logs lessons daily, keeps math workbooks and writing samples in a binder, and books a certified teacher evaluation for early August 2027, filing it with the cover letter before the anniversary of the notice.
Florida rules to know
These are the Florida rules these forms are built around.
- Notice of intent (section 1002.41(1)(a)). Written, signed, with full legal names, addresses and birthdates, filed within 30 days of establishing the program.
- Registration (section 1002.41(1)(b)). The superintendent must accept the notice and register the program, and may not require more information or assign a grade level unless the student uses a district program or service.
- Termination (section 1002.41(1)(c)). Written notice with the annual evaluation within 30 days of termination.
- Portfolio (section 1002.41(1)(d) and (e)). A contemporaneous activity log naming reading materials by title, and work samples, kept for 2 years and available for inspection on 15 days' written notice.
- Annual evaluation (section 1002.41(1)(f) and (2)). One of five methods, filed annually; if progress is not shown, the parent has one year of remedial instruction before reevaluation.
- Opportunities (section 1002.41(4) to (8)). Extracurricular activities, Bright Futures, dual enrollment and admission to Florida colleges and universities.
Mistakes Florida homeschool families make
The common mistakes are filing the notice late or with the wrong county, giving the district more information than the law requires, keeping a log written up at the end of the year instead of as lessons happen, forgetting to list reading materials by title, missing the annual evaluation, using an evaluator who does not hold the right Florida certificate or license, and moving or enrolling in school without filing a termination notice. Using these forms and the key dates tracker avoids each of them.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Florida homeschool notice of intent need to include?
Under section 1002.41(1)(a), the notice must be in writing, signed by the parent, and include the full legal names, addresses and birthdates of all children who will be enrolled in the home education program. The district must accept it and register the program, and may not require more information unless the child takes part in a district program or service.
When do I have to file the notice of intent in Florida?
Within 30 days of establishing the home education program, with the district school superintendent of the county where you live. If you are withdrawing a child from school, file the notice when you start homeschooling, and tell the school the child is withdrawing to home education.
What records must a Florida homeschool keep?
A portfolio containing a log of educational activities made at the same time as the instruction, naming the reading materials by title, and samples of the student's writings, worksheets, workbooks or creative materials. The parent keeps it for 2 years and must make it available for inspection if the superintendent requests it with 15 days' written notice.
What are the annual evaluation options in Florida?
A review of the portfolio and discussion with the student by a Florida-certified teacher; a nationally normed achievement test given by a certified teacher; a state assessment given by a certified teacher under district-approved conditions; an evaluation by a licensed psychologist or school psychologist; or another valid tool agreed with the superintendent. A copy is filed with the district every year.
How do I stop homeschooling in Florida?
File a written notice of termination with the district superintendent within 30 days of the program ending, together with the annual evaluation. If you move to another Florida county, file a termination with the old county and a new notice of intent with the new one.
