‘Public school wasn’t the right fit’: Homeschool families flourishing in Florida 

When Eva Goldstein Meola was homeschooling her daughter more than 20 years ago in Florida, she was part of “a small community of parents,” WPLG Local 10 News reports.

Today’s homeschooling landscape has changed.

“I saw a big change from people homeschooling for religious reasons or personal reasons, to people homeschooling because their child was gifted or their child was on the spectrum, and they knew that they could do it better,” said Meola, founder of the South Florida Homeschool Resource Center.

For the 2023-24 academic year, more than 155,000 state students were homeschooled – a number that’s increased by 46% in the last five years, according to Florida Department of Education.

Meanwhile, public school enrollment has dropped, in Florida and nationwide, with more than 1 million students leaving since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I knew public school wasn’t the right fit for my daughter,” Meola said of her choice to homeschool. Her center offers a range of classes from birth to 18 years, including a microschool for ages 7-10 and 11-14.

Half of Florida’s students don’t attend public school 

The Sunshine State has drawn national attention since Gov. Ron DeSantis announced more than half a million students were enrolled in its school choice programs.

“I am proud that we have enabled over 500,000 students to access a high-quality education that fits their individual needs,” DeSantis, a Republican, said at the time.

When considering homeschool, charter school, open enrollment and other alternatives, the number of students enrolled in options outside their locally zoned school is almost 1.8 million – 51% of K-12 students statewide.

“Rather than a battle between public and private education, Florida is showing how both sectors can coexist and thrive, working together to provide high-quality learning opportunities for all students,” writes Patrick Gibbons, author of the NextSteps report explaining the data.

“The future of education isn’t one-size-fits-all; it’s about ensuring every family has access to an option that fits their child’s unique needs. In Florida, that future is already here.”

The state’s public schools have topped the U.S. News & World Report’s education rankings for two of the last three years, making its enrollment decline even more noteworthy.

Some districts have taken note of the trend and actively offer services to homeschool families.

This includes Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the state’s largest district enrolling approximately 334,000 students.

“Homeschooling is a reality,” said the district’s superintendent, Jose Dotres. “If their children want to come to our school, let’s say for a particular class, they can come and use [funding from a school choice program] so they can come and participate with us.”