Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Enrollment at Aspiring Heights Academy legally meets the compulsory attendance laws of Florida. Aspiring Heights Academy is a home-based, non-public school that has been registered with the Florida Department of Education since 2010. We provide an "umbrella" option to help parents educate their children at home.

Yes. Our school only serves Florida families. Students must be legal residents in the state of Florida. Military families living outside the state of Florida may enroll their children, but they must maintain their Florida residency.

No. Our school serves students statewide.

No. There is no state law requiring private schools in Florida to be accredited.

Anytime! Enrollment is open year-round.

We need to know where you and your child reside and how to contact you and we need to know your child's age and general health. If your child will be enrolling in courses at FLVS or participating in college dual enrollment, we will also need proof of residency and academic records from your child's current/former school. If your child will be enrolling into our diploma program, we will need copies of your child's transcripts documenting high school credits. Please see our Required Documents for New Student Enrollment and Required Documents for Student Re-Enrollment pages more information.

Enrollment fees vary depending on program option. Please see our New Student Enrollment and Student Re-enrollment pages for details.

AHA does not participate in PreK3-12 education scholarships, however we were advised by a Step Up for Students agent that "If the student is enrolled in a private school that does not participate in the scholarship, then the student would not lose the scholarship. However, the funds awarded cannot be used for tuition and fees for the non-participating private school." For more information please read the Step Up for Students program handbooks. Note that scholarship recipients enrolled in courses at FLVS are responsible for FLVS tuition. Please see their page on School Choice Scholarships for details.

No. According to Step of for Students, "Scholarships are open to any K-12 Florida residents not enrolled in full-time private or public school...." You must "withdraw as a full-time public or private school student or terminate a home education program with [your] school district and enroll as a PEP student with Step Up For Students."

We accept debit cards, credit cards, PayPal, checks, money orders, and cash. PayPal buttons are provided on our enrollment, transfer, and expedited service pages. See our Fees and Payment Methods page for details.

Enrollments are processed Monday through Friday within three business days of receipt of the required documentation and payment. We offer expedited services (same day and Saturday enrollments) for an additional fee.

We do not routinely send enrollment information to school districts or the state. We will notify your child's former school of their enrollment at AHA if you include a notification form with your enrollment documents. Parents and guardians are responsible for formally withdrawing their children from their former school or terminating their home education program. See our notification FAQ for information about notifying school officials.

Yes. If you would like to start your school year on a specific date, just include your preferred start date on your enrollment form. This must be a future date. We cannot backdate enrollments.

Your child's term will begin on the day your child is enrolled unless a future start date is requested on your enrollment form.

Your child's term will end one year from their enrollment date or on grade level completion, whichever comes first.

As long as your child has maintained regular attendance during the current school term, you are welcome to re-enroll your child to establish a new school term. Just send us your attendance record to date and an enrollment form specifying the future date you would like to begin the new school term.

When your child is ready to advance to the next grade level, just send us your attendance record to date and re-enroll. (To be eligible for re-enrollment, your child must have maintained regular attendance.) If you would like to change your child's grade level below the current grade level, please contact us.

It's common for the levels of a student's coursework to vary. When considering your child's grade level, consider the grade level at which the majority of the subjects are based.

No, but we recommend you keep one. It may be helpful should your child enter or return to public school. You may need to keep one if you enroll your child in our academic or diploma program. Also, some colleges and universities require applicants who complete a home school program or graduate from a non-accredited high school to submit portfolios to be considered for admission.

You may choose the method in which your child is evaluated. We do not provide evaluations or require that parents have their children evaluated. Some parents want to have their children tested, so we've compiled a list of assessment resources here as a starting point. You may also find our directory of Florida evaluators at iamhomeschooling.com helpful, especially if your child is enrolled in our academic program or diploma program and you will be validating your child's coursework via a portfolio review.

The only recordkeeping we require is attendance. You must keep records that document your child's absence or attendance for each school day and show regular school attendance of at least 180 days for each school year. See our Recordkeeping Requirements page for more information. If you're enrolling your child in our academic program or diploma program, you will need to document coursework in accordance with those program policies.

If your children are taking courses through FLVS, their grades will be documented on FLVS transcripts. If you are using your own curriculum, you may document their grades on grade reports. (Students enrolled in our academic program and diploma program must have their coursework documented more thoroughly.)

No. Students are not required to take Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) Assessments or Florida Standard Assessments (FSA), including End-of-Course (EOC) assessments. Students may participate in EOC assessments, if desired, and there are certain circumstances in which students should participate.

We provide online curriculum through an agreement with Florida Virtual School (FLVS), however, enrolling in FLVS courses is optional. We encourage you to use what works best for your child.

Probably not. Our enrollment exceeds the maximum number allowed by the Florida High School Athletic Association.

We need the following documents:

• An enrollment form
• A photocopy of your child's birth certificate;
• A school-entry health exam dated within one year before enrollment in school; and
• A Florida immunization certificate if it is not on file with the Immunization Registry.

We also need proof of residency and academic records if your child will be enrolling in courses at FLVS or participating in Florida's Dual Enrollment Program.

Please see our required documentation page for more information. (For returning students look here.) Not all documents need to be provided on school entrance.

If you do not have your child's birth certificate, we will accept one of the following:

• A duly attested transcript of a certificate of baptism showing the date of birth and place of baptism of your child, accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by you;
• An insurance policy on your child’s life that has been in force for at least 2 years;
• A bona fide contemporary religious record of your child’s birth accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by you; or
• A passport or certificate of arrival in the United States showing the age of your child.

If you do not have any of the above, and your child was born in Florida, you can request your child's birth record from the Florida Department of Health. If your child was born in a different state, you can find out where to write for vital records at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We can request a copy of your child's birth certificate from your child's former school with your signed authorization.

You should be able to obtain copies from your children's physician. We can also request copies from their former school with your signed authorization. If we do not receive copies from their former school within 15 days, then it will be your responsibility to present them to us. You must present certification of recent school-entry health examinations within 30 days of their enrollment to be in compliance with Florida law. We can accept Form DH 3040, School Entry Health Exam or a signed statement by an authorized professional that indicates the results of the components included in the health examination.

Yes, but please note that you must present certification of a school-entry health exam within 30 days of enrollment to be in compliance with Florida law. We can accept Form DH 3040, School Entry Health Exam or a signed statement by an authorized professional that indicates the results of the components included in the health examination.

If your child recently had a school entry health examination, the results would be included on your child's Certificate of School Entry Health Examination form (postural assessment). If your child is screened separately, then the results may be documented on some other health record. We will accept any health record provided the screening was performed for 6th grade entrance or while enrolled in 6th grade. The document must include your child's name and the date of examination. Scoliosis screenings are only required for students in 6th grade.

Florida Statute 1003.22 requires that each child has a certification of immunization on file with the immunization registry. If your child has been excluded from participation in the immunization registry, you must present your child's immunization certificate. Florida physicians and county health departments issue Form DH 680, Certification of Immunization. No other immunization records can be accepted.

If your child is entering 7^th grade, and your child has been excluded from the immunization registry, we will need an updated Form DH Form 680 indicating that immunizations are complete for 7^th grade entry.

If the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with your religious tenets or practices, you may request religious exemption (DH Form 681 or objection in writing). County health departments issue Form DH 681, Religious Exemption From Immunization.

Please read our article on vaccines and immunizations for more information.

If you recently moved to Florida from another state, you must have your child's vaccination history transferred to Florida's Form DH 680, Certification of Immunization. This form is completed by Florida county health departments and Florida healthcare providers. Please read our article on vaccines and immunizations for more information about Florida's immunization requirements.

All private schools are required to have this information pursuant to Florida Statute 1003.22.

Maybe. We need records from your child's former school if your child will be enrolling in courses at FLVS or participating in Florida's Dual Enrollment Program. We need proof of Kindergarten completion if your child will be taking courses at FLVS and is entering first grade. We need your child's records if you want your child's grades transferred to our school under our academic program. We need high school transcripts if your child is enrolling in our diploma program. If any of the foregoing apply, please include an Enrollment Notification and Records Request form with your enrollment documents.

Documents may be mailed, emailed, or attached to one of our submission forms.

Very! We take the security of your and your children's personal information seriously. Our students' permanent school records are archived in locked, fire-proof file cabinets, and documents containing obsolete personal information are shredded and destroyed. Digital records are kept offline on password protected drives. We do not use outside sources or third party services (e.g., Google's services or cloud storage) to store personal information, and we do not share our students' records unless required by law without explicit parental/guardian or student consent.

If your child is not enrolled in any Florida home education program, public school, or private school, then you do not need to notify anyone of your educational choice to enroll your child in our school. There is no statute requiring parents to inform the district of their child who may attend a private school.

Students enrolled at Aspiring Heights Academy are private school students–not homeschool students as defined in s. 1002.41. You do not need to send a notice of intent to establish a home education program to your district school superintendent if you enroll your child in our school.

If your children are currently enrolled in a public school, then you will need to formally withdraw them. Your district school will ask where your children are going so that they can assign the appropriate withdrawal code. Specify that your children are (or will be) enrolled in a private school, not a home education program. If you would like us to verify your children's enrollment at AHA with their former school, include a notification form with your enrollment documents.

Some schools prefer that parents withdraw their children before enrolling them into another school, some schools prefer that parents withdraw their children after enrolling them into another school, and some schools don't have a preference. In any case, be sure to formally withdraw your child in a timely manner to avoid any potential truancy issues. (See Florida Statute 1003.26)

If your child is currently enrolled in another private school, you will need to formally withdraw your child from the other school. Your school may have a particular policy regarding this, but you should only need to provide them with something in writing stating that you are withdrawing your child. If you would like us to notify your child's previous school of their enrollment at AHA, include a notification form with your enrollment documents.

If you sent your district school superintendent a notice of intent to establish a home education program, then you must send them a termination notice, along with your child's annual evaluation, within 30 days of your child's enrollment at Aspiring Heights Academy. Your district school may have a form you can download, or you can download a termination notice here. (The requirement to include your child's annual evaluation with your termination notice was added to s. 1002.41(1)(c) in 2018.)

We will send you a customized PDF or XLSX 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 term or current grade, whichever comes first.

You only need to report your child's attendance at the end of your child's school year. You are welcome to send us your child's 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.

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.

No. You only need to record the total number of instructional hours for the day.

No. Your child's daily instructional hours may vary, but your child must meet the required net number of instructional hours by the end of the school term.

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.

Maybe. If you are enrolling your child in our academic program, you will need to keep records for your child's portfolio review. If you are enrolling your child in our diploma program and your child is seeking credits by portfolio, you will need to keep records for credit verification. If you are enrolling your child in our standard program, you do not necessarily need to keep records, but we recommend you do. You may find them helpful at some point, especially should your child enter or return to a public or traditional private school.

You may need to keep a portfolio if your child is enrolled in our academic program or diploma program, but otherwise no. This said, we encourage you to do so. We especially recommend you keep a portfolio documenting Kindergarten, since successful completion of Kindergarten is required for entry into public school first grade. We also encourage you to keep a portfolio documenting high school coursework, since some 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.

Our attendance record is only for documenting attendance at our school, but you may include a note under the Notes section if you want to include your child's attendance at his former school as part of the 180 day requirement.

No, but please send us your child's attendance and re-enroll. 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.

Your child's attendance record will be due one year from your child's term start date or on grade completion, whichever comes first. We'll email you a reminder near the end of your child's term.

Provided your child maintained regular attendance, you are welcome to re-enroll to establish a new school term.

Attendance records may be mailed, emailed, or attached to one of our submission forms.

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is a state-funded, online K–12 public school that is free to all Florida students through age 19. There are two different Florida Virtual School programs offered to Florida students: FLVS Flex (formerly known as FLVS Part Time) and FLVS Full Time.

1 FLVS Flex provides free teacher-led online courses to students in Elementary school, middle school, and high school. AHA students may enroll in up to six at a time. Statewide assessments are not required. Enrollment is open year-round.

2  FLVS Full Time is online public school. Students enrolled in the FLVS Full Time program follow a traditional 180-day academic calendar, take a standard public school course load, participate in the Florida Statewide Assessment Program, and are eligible for public high school diplomas. There are specific enrollment periods. FLVS is the student's physical school, so students would not also be enrolled in an umbrella school or in a home education program.

Yes. Students must be legal Florida residents. There are also specific age requirements and limitations. Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1 to enroll in Kindergarten courses, and students must be 6 years old on or before September 1 to enroll in first grade courses. First grade students must also have successfully completed Kindergarten. Students can only enroll in courses through age 19, and all coursework must be completed prior to turning 21.

You will sign up at flvs.net. Please see their step-by-step guide for registration instructions. For the school type, you will choose private school. For the county, you will choose Sarasota (since that is where our school is located). For the school, you will choose Aspiring Heights Academy.

Students with existing FLVS accounts only need to change their physical school to Aspiring Heights Academy under their Academic Profile.

Please see our FLVS page for more information.

Yes. In addition to providing proof of residency to us, you must also provide proof of residency to FLVS.

Most courses in progress will continue as usual. If your child is taking a course though a district franchise, your child may be able to continue the course if it is also offered at FLVS Flex.

When changing your child's school of record (see How do we sign up? above), you may receive an email from FLVS stating that you need to review your current enrollments with the new Physical School Guidance counselor. We will contact you if there are any issues that need to be addressed.

AHA students can to take up to six (6) courses at one time. Selecting both segments in a two segment course counts as one course.

Classrooms are usually assigned within 48 hours of courses being verified, but it can take longer if seats are not available. Once classrooms are assigned, students can start their courses. You will want to check classroom status regularly. If you notice an extended delay, please let us know.

Note that students may request a preferred start date, but the preferred start date is the date FLVS will begin the placement process. According to FLVS, The placement process begins on the preferred start date, assuming all verifications have been received. Students will not be placed before the preferred start date. Once the student’s preferred start date has arrived, students can expect to be placed in their course within just a few days, although the process can, in rare instances take longer. We recommend checking your student dashboard once per day to monitor your placement status. Placement on your preferred start date is is not guaranteed.

FLVS Flex Elementary and middle school students work with their teachers and with the guidance of their parents. Parents are expected to help their children navigate through the course, monitor their progress, and ensure they master course content. FLVS Flex high school students work independently. Sometimes students are required to download (free) software and/or visit external websites to complete assignments. Middle and high school courses include live lessons and classmate collaboration assignments. All assignments are submitted online, including assessments. Periodically, students connect with their teachers on the phone for discussion-based assessments.

No. You need to ensure your child has a computer, an Internet connection, and any supplies needed for the course your child is taking (pencils, notebooks, rulers, software (free), library books, etc.). See the materials list provided with each course and FLVS System Requirements for more information. Your child will also need email access and access to a telephone to be able to communicate with teachers.

Yes. Every FLVS course is taught by state-certified instructors-experts in their subject areas. Teachers and students interact regularly through phone, email, text, and Zoom. Students are encouraged to contact their teachers when there is a need of any kind.

Teachers are available Monday through Friday from 8AM to 8PM, and teachers return communication within 24 hours.

Not necessarily. Students are allowed to work at their own pace and on days and at times that work for them, but they are expected to submit work on a consistent and weekly basis (usually 3-5 assignments a week) unless a pace has been discussed with the FLVS instructor.

Note that according to the FLVS Student Progression Plan, a Flex elementary student Any student who is inactive (failure to submit daily assignments) for more than 14 days, the teacher will notify the parent that the student will need to submit work, or he/she will be recommended for withdrawal from the program. If the student continues to be inactive, the Teacher on Assignment (TOA) will contact the parent and discuss a learning plan specific to the student’s needs. If the student continues to be inactive after the learning plan is discussed the Instructional Leader / Principal will request a withdrawal from FLVS Flex Elementary.

Most courses take between 16 and 36 weeks to complete. Courses are divided into segments (semesters), and each segment takes between 16-18 weeks to complete. Some middle school and high school level courses have two segments; some have only one. Students are not required to take both segments of a two segment course. Each high school segment is worth 1/2 credit.

Students may work ahead of pace and finish the course in less time. Also, students may work at a slower pace and finish the course in more time. In either case, it's important that students submit work regularly. We encourage parents and students to reach out to their assigned teachers if they are struggling with the material or the pace.

FLVS gives students a 14-day grace period to decide if they want to remain in the course. If a course is too easy, too difficult, or doesn't meet a student's expectations, a student may drop the course without penalty during the first 14 days of being activated in the course. Note that the FLVS instructor will withdraw a student from a course if the student does not submit any work or commit to the course during the 14-day grace period.

Your child may retake a course as follows:

• An Elementary student can retake a course if they have not been promoted to the next grade level.
• A middle school student can retake a middle school course if they earn a D or F.
• A middle school student can retake a high school course if they earn a C,D, or F.
• A high school student can retake a high school course if they receive a D or an F.

If a classroom has not been assigned yet, the course can be dropped from your child's dashboard. Once a classroom is assigned, you will need to call or email the assigned teacher to request withdrawal. Note that only the enrolling parent/guardian may withdraw their student from FLVS Flex Elementary.

No. Our students are not required to take EOC assessments. Students may take these tests, if desired. There are also certain circumstances in which students should take these tests.

This can happen when FLVS starts their new school year. You only need to go into your child's Student Profile and select the correct grade level. Note that FLVS calculates a student's projected graduation date based on their grade level.

No. Our High School Diploma Program is optional.

Students in grades 6 through 12 may be enrolled in or transferred into the diploma program at any time. However, your child must complete a minimum of one full semester with us and must be enrolled prior to age 20. If you're unsure of your child's high school plans, you're welcome to wait. We recommend you follow our graduation requirements in the meantime. Student must meet our eligibility requirements to be accepted into the program.

No. Our students are not required to take Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) or Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) assessments, including End-of-Course (EOC) assessments. Students may want to take EOC assessments to earn credit for a course without having to take the course or if they may enter or return to public school.

We will only need transcripts if your child is enrolled in our diploma program.

Students enrolled in our High School Diploma Program who meet our graduation requirements will receive a high school diploma.

Your child will be able to participate in Florida's dual enrollment program if the following conditions are met:

• Your child is in grade 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12;
• Your child is enrolled in our High School Diploma Program;
• Your child is able to meet the eligibility requirements for initial enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses; and
• Your child will attend a college that we have a dual enrollment articulation agreement with.

We maintain and provide transcripts for students enrolled in our academic and diploma programs. Students taking courses at FLVS are able to access their FLVS transcripts through their FLVS accounts.

We do not require any specific high school curriculum. If your high school student is enrolled in our diploma program, however, coursework must be documented in accordance with our diploma program policies.

No school can guarantee college acceptance. Many postsecondary institutions require applicants who complete a home education program or graduate from a non-accredited high school to submit portfolios and transcripts from their originating sources to be considered for admission. Additionally, the acceptance of diplomas and transcripts from private schools (whether accredited or not) is subject to the requirements of the receiving institution. If you will be enrolling your high school student into our diploma program, we encourage you to reach out to colleges your student is considering attending to ensure they will be accepted for admission. See our High School Diploma Program page for more information.

If you will not be enrolling your high school student into our diploma program, keep in mind that students enrolled at Aspiring Heights Academy are private school students, not home educated as defined in s. 1002.41. Some colleges require students applying as home educated to provide district verification that they completed a home education program. Some colleges accept students who complete high school under an umbrella school without earning a high school diploma as home educated; some require the student to present a GED. We encourage you to reach out to prospective colleges to find out what their admission requirements are.

Provided specific scholarship eligibility requirements are met, students graduating with an Aspiring Heights Academy diploma are eligible for Bright Futures Scholarships.