Documenting and Reporting Attendance
Parents/guardians must keep complete and accurate attendance records in order to remain in compliance with Florida's compulsory attendance law. Attendance records are due at the end of your child's school term or upon grade level completion, which ever comes first. You are welcome, of course, to send us your attendance records more frequently. We email reminders around a month before attendance records are due and we'll mail a courtesy postcard reminder if requested.
Documenting Attendance
You begin recording your child's attendance (or absence) for each school day the day your child's school term begins. We will attach a customized attendance recording form to your enrollment confirmation email. You do not need to report the specific time of day that your child is receiving instruction or what is being learned; you only need to record the total instructional hours for each school day. Please read through our FAQs (see below) for more details.
To be deemed in compliance with the compulsory attendance requirements of Section 1003.21(1)(a), Florida Statutes, your child must maintain regular attendance during the entire school term as follows:
| Grade Level(s) | (AVERAGE) Instructional Hours | Actual School Days | Net Instructional Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 3 hours per school day | 180 days | 540 hours |
| Grades 1–3 | 4 hours per school day | 180 days | 720 hours |
| Grades 4–12 | 5 hours per school day | 180 days | 900 hours |
| Rule 6A-1.09512, Equivalent Minimum School Terms for Compulsory Attendance Purposes | |||
- How do I keep attendance?
We will send you a customized attendance form on enrollment. You will log the days and total number of hours your child is in school. You must keep complete and accurate attendance records that document the minimum compulsory attendance requirements required by law. Attendance records are due at the end of your child's school term or upon completion of his or her grade level, which ever comes first. Learn More
- How often do we send you our attendance records?
Attendance records are submitted annually and on grade level completion. You will send us your attendance record and re-enroll with each grade change. You are welcome to send us your attendance more often. We have parents that send it to us monthly, quarterly, and biannually. Just keep one record (per child) and update it throughout the school year.
- Why do we need to log both days and hours?
Private school students must maintain regular attendance as defined in Florida Rule 6A-1.09512 to be deemed in compliance with Florida's compulsory attendance laws. Recording both days and hours of attendance specifically documents that your child is meeting the state's requirements.
- We school at different hours and take breaks throughout the day. Do we need to keep track of the specific times our children are in school?
No. You only need to record the total number of instructional hours for the day.
- Does my child have to be in school for a specific number of hours each day?
No. Your child's daily instructional hours may vary, but your child must meet the net number of instructional hours required for his or her grade level by the end of the school term. Learn More
- What counts as a school day?
As a supervisor of your child's education, you decide what counts as a school day. Field trips, classes at museums and science centers, library activities, co-op classes, and online lessons, to name a few, all count. Instruction does not have to take place in the home.
- Do we have to keep a log of our activities or the curriculum we use?
No, but we recommend you do. You may find it helpful at some point, especially should your child enter or return to a public or traditional private school. You do not need to provide this information to us. Students enrolled in our High School Diploma Program, however, must properly document extracurricular activities to earn high school credit if the credits will not be documented on official transcripts.
- Do we have to keep a portfolio?
No, but we encourage you to do so. We especially recommend you keep a portfolio documenting high school coursework. Many colleges and universities require applicants who complete a home school program or graduate from a non-accredited high school to submit portfolios and/or transcripts to be considered for admission.
- My child has already started his school year. Can we count his attendance from his previous school?
Our attendance record is only for documenting attendance at our school, but there is a comment section if you want to make a note. You begin recording your child's attendance on the first day of your child's school term.
- Does my child have to wait until the end of the school term before advancing to the next grade level?
No, but you must send us your attendance record and re-enroll your child with each grade level placement.
It's common for students to have less than the required number of hours and days of attendance with mid-term grade changes, but your child must have maintained regular attendance to be eligible for re-enrollment.
- When will my attendance record be due?
Your attendance record will be due one year from your child's term start date or upon grade level completion, which ever comes first. We'll email you a reminder about a month before the end of your child's school term. We'll send you a reminder post card, too, if you'd like.
- What if I later want my child on a typical public school schedule?
Provided your child maintained regular attendance, you are welcome to re-enroll to establish a new school term.
- How do we submit attendance records?
Attendance records may be mailed or emailed. Learn More
Although not required, we encourage you to keep some kind of journal or portfolio. It could be as simple as an occasional diary entry or more complex with samples of your child's work, book logs, and field trip notes. If you don't keep any kind of records (other than attendance), you may find that you wish you had–or that your children wish you had. It can be fun looking back on adventures, and children get a sense of pride when they look back at some of the work they have done and see how much they have improved.
As the supervisor of your child's education, you decide what activities count toward your school day. Instruction does not have to take place in the home.
We recommend you keep a portfolio throughout your child's high school years. Many colleges and universities require applicants who completed a home school program or graduated from a non-accredited high school to submit portfolios and/or transcripts to be considered for admission.
Attendance Reporting Options
Your attendance record may be mailed or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you will be mailing your attendance record, be sure to keep a copy for your records. If you will be emailing your attendance record, please be sure it is clearly readable and meets our formatting requirements. We allow two weeks for mailing time.
Formatting Requirements
- PDF or JPG Format
- If you printed and manually completed your attendance record, you may mail us your original record or scan it and email it as a PDF or JPG document. Please do not send screen shots, scans, or photos taken with mobile devices. They are almost always dark, resized, cut off, and warped. If you do not have access to a physical scanner, please mail your attendance record to us.
- XLS, XLSX, or ODS Formats
- If your record is in spreadsheet format, you may email it to us in its original format or export it as PDF document. You are also welcome to print it and mail it.
If you would like to enroll your child for the new school year contemporaneously with attendance reporting, please see Current and Returning Students.
