An umbrella school is a non-traditional private school that supervises the enrollment, attendance, and other aspects of a family’s home education. Umbrella schools also validate the student’s diploma. An important distinction to make is that those who are registered with umbrella schools are technically not “homeschoolers.” By law, they are private school students, but their education usually takes place within the home. https://www.time4learning.com/homeschooling/florida/umbrella-schools.html
While some families homeschool “autonomously,” choosing and implementing their own curriculum and carefully meeting the requirements of their state’s homeschool law, other families prefer the additional support offered by homeschool umbrella schools.
In homeschool umbrella schools:
» Students are legally considered private school students
» Parents typically choose and implement their own curriculum
» Parents submit grades; umbrella schools conduct recordkeeping
» Umbrella schools may or may not assess students’ progress
» Families have access to field trip groups, co-ops, and enrichments
» No public funding is available; enrollment is typically inexpensive
Please note that umbrella schools differ from public or charter school programs that enroll homeschooled students. Umbrella schools exist primarily to satisfy a state’s compulsory attendance law; in contrast, programs operated by public, or charter schools exist primarily to provide families with publicly funded services such as a virtual curriculum or reimbursements for educational expenses.
Many homeschool umbrella schools are formed by homeschooling families, and do not have a physical campus. These programs may function similarly to homeschooling groups, and may offer co-ops and enrichments, or may only provide a recordkeeping function. In other cases, however, established private schools with in-person instructional programs may offer a homeschool umbrella school program that enrolls students who are educated at home, with varying degrees of oversight.
Not every state has homeschool umbrella schools! You can learn whether umbrella schools are an option in your state by checking your state information page, or by using an internet search engine. If you live in a state with umbrella schools and are considering this option, you should be able to find lists of umbrella schools in your state using an internet search engine, or by asking on local homeschool social media pages.
https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/guides/resources-for-homeschool-parents/support/homeschool-umbrella-schools/
