Pasco schools plan to offer paid courses to homeschool students.

In Pasco County, an estimated 5,500 children are currently educated through homeschooling. In a bid to re-engage this population and expand educational opportunities, the Pasco County School District is developing a new program allowing homeschool students to enroll in individual courses at their local public schools.

This initiative follows similar efforts by the Miami-Dade County school system and aims to offer a range of classes that homeschoolers can access. State-funded vouchers, estimated at approximately ,000 per course, are available to support this initiative, providing financial assistance to families seeking to enroll their children in these courses.

The foundation for this program was laid two years ago when state lawmakers removed income restrictions for educational vouchers, thereby making them universally available to all children. Under the new legislation, known as the homeschooling voucher law, families can also use these funds for contracted services from public school districts, which includes purchasing classes.

Pasco County Superintendent John Legg characterized the district’s approach as a strategic pivot toward serving homeschool families, a demographic that has been increasingly opting for alternative educational pathways. During a workshop held this week, he emphasized the importance of understanding community interest in the new program, revealing plans to distribute surveys to families to assess their specific educational needs and preferences.

Superintendent Legg anticipates that high school students will show significant interest in enrolling in advanced courses, technical education, and ROTC programs, particularly given that nearly half of the county’s homeschooled population consists of high school-aged students. However, the district remains flexible and open to feedback, recognizing that younger students may have differing educational desires. Board member Colleen Beaudoin noted that past offerings have occasionally targeted social engagement rather than academic rigor.

Samantha Del Valle, the director of the Office of Leading and Learning, indicated that while the implementation of the program will begin on a limited scale in the fall, there are plans for eventual expansion to all grade levels.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to address the rising number of families choosing alternative educational options, as reflected in an anticipated enrollment decline for district schools. By attracting homeschool students to enroll in individual courses, the district hopes to generate additional voucher funding and potentially encourage full-time enrollment in the future.

With significant interest and response to the upcoming surveys, the district aspires to launch this new educational service by the fall, creating opportunities for students to access advanced coursework that may not have been feasible under traditional enrollment models.