Florida Private Schools Landscape

Florida private schools reported 496,519 students in 3,252 schools for the 2024-25 school year, the largest count in the ten-year series published by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE 2024-25 private school annual report).

Compared with 2023-24, the number of Florida private schools that filed the annual survey rose by 236 and reported PK-12 enrollment grew by 30,515 students (FLDOE). Enrollment climbed in every year of the series except one: it fell from 397,970 in 2019-20 to 364,420 in 2020-21, then jumped to 416,084 in 2021-22 (FLDOE annual report).

The Florida figures are self-reported. The 2024-25 report covers schools that completed the online annual survey between August 30, 2024 and June 2, 2025 (FLDOE annual report), and the department states that it does not verify the accuracy of the data submitted (FLDOE annual reports page). The report counts only schools that completed the survey.

Miami-Dade County has the most Florida private schools, with 623 of the 3,252 schools that reported enrollment in 2024-25, followed by Broward and Orange counties (FLDOE 2024-25 private school annual report).

Broward holds 9.9 percent of the state's private schools and Orange 8.2 percent, and the three South and Central Florida counties together account for 37.3 percent of all private schools in Florida (FLDOE). Enrollment follows the same pattern: the county table lists 92,352 private school students in Miami-Dade, which the report labels DADE, and 55,798 in Broward (FLDOE county table).

The small end of the Florida table matters to rural families. Calhoun County reported no private schools at all in 2024-25, and Liberty County reported a single school with 25 students (FLDOE county tables). Martin County reported 16,729 students from 24 schools (FLDOE county tables), while neighboring St. Lucie County reported 7,262 students from 55 schools and Indian River County 2,011 students from 19 schools (FLDOE). Anyone comparing counties should read those survey numbers as filed, not audited.

Grades 1 to 5 make up the largest share of Florida private school enrollment, 35.5 percent in 2024-25, while high school grades 9 to 12 make up 25.0 percent (FLDOE 2024-25 private school annual report).

Prekindergarten is a large part of the Florida private sector: 50,180 children, or 10.1 percent of enrollment, against 40,524 in kindergarten (FLDOE grade table). Middle school grades 6 to 8 hold 21.2 percent. Twelfth grade reported 31,210 students, against 37,290 in first grade (FLDOE grade table).

Florida private schools reported 57,226 instructional and administrative personnel in 2024-25, counted across eight types from prekindergarten teacher to administrator (FLDOE personnel table). About 85.3 percent were classroom teachers and 14.7 percent were school administrators (FLDOE). Support personnel such as secretaries, aides, paraprofessionals and volunteers are not included in that count (FLDOE personnel table).

Florida private elementary and secondary schools are not licensed, approved, accredited or regulated by the Florida Department of Education; the core state duty is an annual survey that feeds a public directory (FLDOE).

Section 1002.42 of the Florida Statutes spells out that survey. The Florida database must hold each school's name, address and telephone number, its type, its administrative officers, enrollment by grade, the number of graduates, the number of instructional and administrative personnel and the number of days the school is in session (s. 1002.42, F.S.). Each school files the form every year with a notarized statement that its owner has complied with the fingerprint requirement, and failing to file is a misdemeanor; on conviction, the school's proper authorities are subject to a fine not exceeding $500 (s. 1002.42, F.S.).

The statute states the Florida Legislature's position in plain terms: it is the intent of the Legislature not to regulate, control, approve, or accredit private educational institutions, and not to regulate churches, their ministries or religious instruction (s. 1002.42(2)(h), F.S.). Filing the survey may not be used by a school to imply state approval or accreditation.

A handful of other Florida duties do apply. A new owner must file fingerprints with the Department of Law Enforcement within 5 days of assuming ownership of a school (s. 1002.42(2)(c), F.S.). Attendance at a private, parochial, religious or denominational school satisfies the state attendance requirements, and a private school that closes must transfer permanent student records to the district school superintendent where it was located (s. 1002.42, F.S.). Private schools may also compete athletically with public high schools under section 1006.20 (s. 1002.42(8), F.S.).

A Florida private school that enrolls state scholarship students must also meet section 1002.421 of the Florida Statutes, which adds accountability duties that the general private school law does not impose (Florida Statutes).

Under section 1002.421, a participating Florida school must comply with the antidiscrimination provisions of 42 U.S.C. 2000d, notify the department of its intent to participate, and show fiscal soundness by being in operation for at least 3 school years or obtaining a surety bond or letter of credit for the amount equal to the scholarship funds for any quarter (s. 1002.421(1), F.S.). It must employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees, have at least 3 years of teaching experience, or have special skills or expertise in the subjects taught (s. 1002.421(1)(h), F.S.). It must keep a physical location in Florida where students have regular and direct contact with teachers, give each scholarship parent a written explanation of the student's progress on a quarterly basis, and screen every employee with direct student contact (s. 1002.421, F.S.).

The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, created by the Legislature in 2001, carries a tax credit amount of $1,091,957,093.00 for the 2024-25 fiscal year, and its financial eligibility restrictions were eliminated as of the 2023-24 school year (FLDOE FTC page). For the scholarship programs, the department directs families to contact one of the two scholarship funding organizations that administer them, A.A.A. Scholarship Foundation at 888-707-2465 and Step Up For Students at 877-735-7837 (FLDOE FES page). The FLDOE scholarship programs page also carries a form to file a complaint against a scholarship participating private school (FLDOE K-12 Scholarship Programs).

The Florida Department of Education Private Schools Directory lets anyone search schools by district and filter for religious, military, hybrid and scholarship-participating schools (FLDOE Private Schools Directory).

The scholarship filters in the Florida directory separate FES Educational Options, FTC, FES Unique Abilities and PEP schools, which is the quickest way to see whether a school can take a given scholarship (FLDOE directory). The directory warns that its data come from the annual survey under section 1002.42, that the department does not verify them, and that inclusion of a school's information in the database does not imply approval or accreditation by the Department of Education. Because Florida does not accredit private schools, any accreditation a school lists comes from a private body and should be confirmed with that body directly.

Questions about the survey or the directory go to the FLDOE Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, 325 W. Gaines Street, Tallahassee, phone 850-245-0502, toll-free hotline 1-800-447-1636 (FLDOE annual report cover). One timing point for Florida families and researchers: as of October 15, 2026, the newest report posted on the department's annual reports page is still 2024-2025, and no 2025-26 report is listed (FLDOE annual reports page). Last verified: October 15, 2026, on the Florida Department of Education website.