Florida Statute 1002.45 requires that each Florida school district offer a Virtual Instruction Program (VIP) for its students.

You may also view a handy table of the requirements by clicking here

Full-time K-5

By law, a student may enroll in a virtual instruction program provided by the school district in which he or she resides if the student meets at least one of the following conditions:

(a) The student has spent the prior school year in attendance at a public school in this state and was enrolled and reported by a public school district for funding during the preceding October and February for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program surveys.

(b) The student is a dependent child of a member of the United States Armed Forces who was transferred within the last 12 months to this state from another state or from a foreign country pursuant to the parent's permanent change of station orders.

(c) The student was enrolled during the prior school year in a school district virtual instruction program under this section or a K-8 Virtual School Program under s. 1002.415.

(d) The student is a sibling of a student who was enrolled in a virtual program at the end of the prior school year.

(e) The student is eligible to kindergarten or first grade.

[2012-2013 Update] Elementary students (grades K-5) do not have to meet the prior year or one of the other criteria in s. 1002.45, F.S., to enroll in full time virtual programs in the districts. Full-time students in grades K-12 enrolling in FLVS FT do not have to meet one of the criteria.

Part-time K-5

Recent changes in state statute now permit some 4th and 5th grade students the opportunity to accelerate their learning by participating in virtual course work during the school day. Students in 4th or 5th grades who score a Level 4 or Level 5 the previous year on FCAT Reading or FCAT Mathematics are eligible to take these accelerated courses from MyDistrict Virtual School (a franchise of the Florida Virtual School) or from the statewide Florida Virtual School. Interested families should discuss this option fully with their school guidance counselor or district virtual contact.

Full or part-time 6-12

6-12 students may choose to take full or part-time virtual courses through MyDistrict Virtual School's franchise agreement with the Florida Virtual School. Students can immediately enter the MDVS program at any time (regardless of their home, private or public school status the prior year*) and work towards earning a public school diploma.

Public school students even have the option to take virtual courses courses as part of the regular school day with permission from the school. Be sure to speak with your guidance counselor or district virtual contact about the different scenarios and the state rules associated with each.

[2012-2013 Update] Students enrolling part-time in virtual programs 7001, 7023 and 7006 and part-time elementary students in FLVS still have to meet one of the criteria (Grades K-1 is one of the criteria). Part-time grades 6-12 students enrolling in district franchises and FLVS’s part-time program do not.

(*Students requiring Intensive Reading according to state law may be required to have been in a Florida public school the prior school year.)