School Choice

School Choice and Homeschool in Florida

Private school choice programs, charter schools, homeschool rules and private schools in Florida. Facts as of November 2026.

Choice programs3At least one is universal
Charter schoolsAllowedPublic charter law
Homeschool noticeYesTesting: Yes

Private school choice programs

How they work ›

Family Empowerment Scholarship

Education savings account Universal Enacted 2019

Florida residents eligible to enroll in public school kindergarten through grade 12 (priority to households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, then up to 400%); funds may pay private school tuition and other approved education costs.

Enacted by ch. 2019-23 and expanded to all eligible students in 2023-24; also covers students with disabilities (successor to the former McKay and Gardiner scholarships).

Official source

Florida Tax Credit Scholarship

Tax-credit scholarship Universal Enacted 2001

Florida residents eligible to enroll in public school kindergarten through grade 12; donors receive credits for gifts to scholarship funding organizations, with priority to households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, then up to 400%.

Created by ch. 2001-225.

Official source

Hope Scholarship

Voucher Limited Enacted 2018

Public school students in kindergarten through grade 12 who report an incident such as bullying, harassment, or battery may transfer to another public school or receive a scholarship to attend an eligible private school.

Created by ch. 2018-6.

Official source

Charter schools

Florida has a public charter school law.

Official source

Homeschool rules

Parents notify the district school superintendent of intent within 30 days of starting a home education program and keep a portfolio of records. Each year the student must receive an evaluation (a teacher's portfolio review, a nationally normed test, a state assessment, or another approved method) and the parent files the result with the superintendent. Check your state's law before you start.

Notice: Yes Testing: Yes

Law: Fla. Stat. § 1002.41. Official source

Notes

The Florida Department of Education pages (fldoe.org) returned HTTP 403 to the research tools, so facts were verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes on the Florida Senate site. The Hope Scholarship as written in the 2026 statute is not tax-credit funded, so it is classed as a voucher.

Some items in a note may rest on news reports rather than an official source.

Private schools in Florida

The private school list will appear here after the first scheduled update.

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Sources: Florida Statutes 1002.394 (Family Empowerment Scholarship), Florida Statutes 1002.395 (Florida Tax Credit Scholarship), Florida Statutes 1002.40 (Hope Scholarship), Florida Statutes 1002.33 (charter schools), Florida Statutes 1002.41 (home education programs), NCES Private School Universe Survey. State facts as of November 2026. Check your state's law before you start.