Umbrella School

Florida parents have the option of using public, private, or home schools to educate their children. Umbrella schools fall under private education, and as such are allowed to have students who are home-schooled by their parents. The school supervises the students’ enrollment, attendance, and in some cases will offer services such as curriculum, transcripts, and diplomas. In an umbrella school, the parent becomes a teacher of the school, and the student, although learning at home, is not considered home-schooled, but rather a private school student by law.

Enrolling your child in an umbrella school is much like any other school. You must provide the school with your child’s full name, date of birth, address, and requisite documents. You are also required to report attendance to the school on a quarterly basis. The umbrella schools may impose additional requirements to assure that state or college standards are met.

The benefits that the umbrella school option offers parents are many:

1) It serves as an alternative to parents having to register their child with the county school district as a home-schooled student.

2) It allows parents to maintain their privacy. Some parents would prefer not reporting to the county every year since they may find the county's requirements somewhat intrusive.

3) It allows parents to avoid the hassle of a yearly evaluation or testing, which are required for promoting their children to the next grade level.

4) It provides meaningful support for parents. The umbrella school can provide guidance for curriculum building and to refortify what the child is learning via tutoring.

5) It helps parents find qualified teachers and tutors to teach areas that they are unable or unwilling to teach.

6) Some umbrella schools also set up field-trips for their students, set up Physical Education courses and activities, and have meeting events to fulfill extracurricular activity needs or to simply provide network/socializing opportunities.