CS/CS/HB 731 - Home Education

• Home education programs are not school district programs and are registered with superintendents solely for compliance with state attendance requirements; parents are not required to hold a teaching certificate.

• District superintendents must immediately register home education programs upon receipt of written notice and cannot require additional information unless the student chooses to participate in district programs or services.

• School districts may provide home education students access to career and technical courses, industry certifications, and standardized assessments, with funding through the Florida Education Finance Program.

• Students with patterns of nonattendance who enroll in home education programs are subject to portfolio reviews every 30 days by a home education review committee; failure to provide a portfolio results in program termination and 180-day re-enrollment ban.

• School and district officials must comply with intervention procedures under section 1003.26 before instituting criminal prosecution for compulsory attendance violations; the department must provide ACT and PreACT data for program evaluation.