FLVS Elementary is a free option for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. This innovative learning model allows students to work both online and offline through engaging learning activities.

Elementary students may take some or all their courses with FLVS. Families are also able to choose how students experience their courses. Students can move together following the traditional school calendar through FLVS Full Time or take individual courses with FLVS Flex, following a more flexible schedule and start any time during the year. Traditionally, each course is designed to cover 18 weeks of work. The web-based curriculum allows students to work online and submit their weekly work as they move through the lessons. Students are provided lesson plans for each day of the school week to ensure they practice the necessary skills to move to the next grade level.

Weekly Class Time sessions add additional layers of support and instruction through live interactive lessons, led by your child’s teacher. This is a time for students to participate with their teacher and grade-level classmates to gain a deeper understanding about the subject matter being taught. Students enjoy this activity and it provides collaboration with fellow grade-level classmates while cementing learning for all age levels.

As a public school district, Florida Virtual School offers a number of different online learning options to students.

FLVS Full Time is a fully online public school requiring students to take a standard public school course load of six courses per semester. The school runs on a traditional 180-day academic calendar (August to June) and serves as the school of record, managing all student transcripts and progress reports. Each spring, FLVS Full Time enrollment opens for the following school year. As a public school, it requires students to meet all state testing requirements, including the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA).

FLVS Flex allows students to take one or more online courses anytime during the year. It is open to homeschool families who want to customize their own schedule and curriculum or traditional school families who take the majority of their courses at a public or private school. School records are managed by the school (public, private, or charter) or parent (homeschool).

Visit our options page to learn more.

• Florida Residents: FLVS is tuition free to Florida residents.
• Out-of-state Students: Students that live outside Florida or the U.S. can take FLVS courses through FLVS Global School on a tuition basis.

Unique requirements apply to Florida students who receive a school choice scholarship to attend private school or receive other educational services. Learn more here.

FLVS is accredited as a school district system by Advance Education, Inc. (AdvancED). The various FLVS schools are accredited by SACS CASI (Southern Association of College and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement). Our courses meet all the Florida Standards.

• A student enrolling in Kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which he/she is enrolling.
• A student enrolling in first grade must be 6 years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which he/she is enrolling and have successfully completed Kindergarten.

View more information about these requirements in Florida Statute 1003.21.

In addition to weekly coursework, students also obtain live instruction from weekly Class Time sessions.

• FLVS Full Time: Students are required to attend the Class Time live teacher instruction three days per week.
• FLVS Flex: Although attendance of Class Time live teacher instruction is not required, it is strongly recommended that they attend at least two sessions per week.

Learn more about Class Time

Any children of military personnel who are in good standing in their Florida school district (including public, private, or homeschool students) may take courses with FLVS. Children of military families who are permanent Florida residents currently residing outside the state may take FLVS courses free of charge by registering as homeschool students with their Florida district of record or by enrolling in our full-time public school option. Military families residing outside of Florida with no established Florida residency are not eligible to take free courses through FLVS Flex or FLVS Full Time, but may enroll in our tuition-based option, FLVS Global School.

Our goal is to provide an exemplary educational experience for all students. FLVS is a school of choice and should be considered only if the online educational delivery context is the student’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), and therefore the most appropriate choice based on the unique needs of the student. All students at FLVS have access to many accommodations that naturally occur in the virtual setting. FLVS may also be able to provide additional accommodations per a student’s IEP or Section 504 Plan if the accommodation(s) is/are applicable to the online educational environment. Please note that some accommodations may not be possible to implement in the online educational setting.

If a student has a disability or impairment, this should be indicated when prompted during registration at FLVS. Parents/guardians are responsible for providing FLVS a copy of the student’s most current individual educational plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. These documents should be submitted directly to FLVS by the parent/guardian. Directions to submit these documents are provided during registration and can be viewed at any time.

Please note that FLVS does not provide any Access Points of the Florida State Standards which provide modified curriculum and assessment options for students with intellectual disabilities or significant cognitive disabilities.

FLVS Full Time:

As your student’s school of record, FLVS Full Time may provide some ESE services, related services, evaluations, annual reviews, re-evaluations, and initial eligibility determinations. If you are considering FLVS Full Time, please view detailed information listed in the ESE section on our site and in the FLVS Full Time Handbook prior to enrollment.

FLVS Flex:

Students with disabilities or impairments enrolled in FLVS Flex must work with their district of enrollment to receive any necessary ESE services, related services, evaluations, annual reviews, re-evaluations, and initial eligibility determinations. Please note that FLVS Flex does not provide any of these services or evaluations. Students/families are encouraged to communicate regularly with their teachers to determine whether the virtual educational environment can appropriately meet the needs of the student. FLVS Flex offers a grace period for families to determine if the online environment is an appropriate fit. Please be sure to discuss the limitations of this grace period with your FLVS teacher immediately upon enrollment in FLVS Flex. If you are considering FLVS Flex, please view detailed information listed in the ESE section on our site and in the FLVS Flex Handbook prior to enrollment.

Required items are:

• Dedicated work space
• Proper internet connection
• A computer for each student (Chromebook and tablets limit the student experience, so we recommend against these devices)
• Printer
• Scanner or mobile device to capture images of assignments for uploading 
• Headphones, microphone, and webcam to participate in Class Time and online discussions 
• Student supplies (list distributed by each teacher) 

Please check to be sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements.

We offer Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, and special area subjects like Art, Computer Science, Physical Education, and Spanish. Our engaging and interactive curriculum follows Florida State Standards and is delivered completely online which serves as your online textbook, therefore no hard copy books are necessary.

FLVS Full Time: Students take a total of six courses at a time, comprised of the four core courses, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies and two additional special area courses of your choice.

FLVS Flex: Homeschool students may take up to six courses at a time; public and private school students may take up to three at a time. Please review information about time commitments in our Elementary Student Experience video prior to signing up for multiple courses.

Yes, depending on the number and type of courses. Public and private school students are limited to taking no more than three courses at once. Please note that FLVS courses have the same FLDOE course codes as traditional brick-and-mortar schools and therefore cannot be taken concurrently.

FLVS Elementary courses should not be used for extra practice or remediation for students who have been promoted to the next grade level. Because our courses are fully accredited and use the same course codes as those at traditional schools, any courses taken with FLVS will appear on your student’s transcripts.

On average, you can expect to spend about 3-5 hours per week for each core course taken and about 1 hour per week for each specials course. This time estimate is a combination of computer-based and hands-on learning activities.

You can expect to spend about 75 percent of your time working on computer-based activities and the remainder will be spent putting those learned skills into action with hands-on activities.

• Computer-based activities: attending Class Time, collaborating with classmates, reading, playing games, interactive learning tools, listening to audio clips, and watching videos.
• Hands-on activities: handwritten worksheets, coloring and matching worksheets, projects, performing experiments, and other hands-on activities.

Class Time sessions are live, interactive lessons, allowing students and teachers to gather and work together in an online environment. During lessons, teachers provide individualized instruction and students gain a deeper understanding of the content, engage in activities, and collaborate with their peers.

Although Class Time is not required for every program, it is strongly recommended as it is a valuable time to connect with your classmates and teachers and get the live instruction your child needs to learn the skills and be successful in elementary.

Class Time schedules vary by program and subject area:

• FLVS Full Time: required; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
• FLVS Flex: not required, but strongly recommended; Tuesday and Thursday

FLVS understands the need for flexibility. In the event your student cannot attend a Class Time session, you may watch the weekly recordings of Class Time and recordings of specific standards for additional support. Please be sure to also connect with your teacher on absences so he/she can offer additional support for missed instruction.

Students have course assignments and activities that must be submitted weekly. Teachers will grade the assignments and provide feedback.

Students can expect to complete 2-4 assignments per week for each core course taken and about 1 assignment for each specials course.

Upon entering the course, students have access to ALL assignments, but access to tests or quizzes may not be available until certain assignments have been completed. Students move sequentially through the course but may be allowed to occasionally move ahead or test out of certain areas, pending teacher approval.

Per state standards, certain assignments must be in the students own writing. Because of this, families must print, scan, and upload multiple completed assignments into their FLVS Gradebook. A working printer and a way to scan and upload assignments is required. 

All FLVS courses have a Pace Chart embedded in them, allowing families to know exactly what is expected to be submitted on a weekly basis. FLVS Flex teachers assist students in modifying the chart to reflect their chosen pace (traditional, extended, or accelerated) however, students are expected to submit work weekly to stay on pace.

Every graded assessment is recorded in the student's personal Gradebook. Routinely monitoring grades allows you to see student progress over time. All graded assignments and current overall grade average are available for viewing. Current overall grade average, graded assignments, and teacher feedback are available for viewing at any time.

Report cards are issued for FLVS Full Time students at the end of each semester (half-year). Both FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time issue final grades at the end of the semester and transcripts for successfully completed courses. Parents are also able to view weekly progress by checking their student’s VSA records as necessary.

On a monthly basis, teachers call parents to discuss student progress and they are also available between monthly calls as needed. Teachers frequently meet with students/parents one-on-one to conduct discussion-based assessments (DBAs). DBAs serve as an opportunity for teachers to assess student progress toward individual learning milestones.

FLVS Elementary is taught by dedicated, certified elementary teachers who are available throughout the week as needed. Teachers provide group instruction, as well as personalized, one-on-one guidance and feedback.

Students are assigned a grade level teacher who will teach their core subjects. Students taking specials that require special certification will receive instruction from a teacher certified in that subject area.

Yes, FLVS has counselors for both the Full Time and Flex Elementary schools. Our counselors provide additional layers of support and growth for families. They not only help with registration, but during the year they also offer parent help sessions, small-group counseling sessions, student story time, character building activities, and Career Day.

FLVS partners with parents to ensure student success. Parents regularly connect with teachers and can review student progress and grades at any time. Parents of elementary-age students are more hands-on and involved in guiding students and assisting with projects or schoolwork that may be completed both on and away from the computer. This on-site supervision and support are critical in the early years, while students in older grades begin to work more independently.

Parents are required to monitor their student daily, ensure students are making weekly progress in the course, ensure their student is learning the content, and help their student navigate through the course.

Yes, FLVS values parents as partners. Although FLVS teachers deliver regular instruction, parents are an integral part in their student’s education. Teachers are also available for personalized, one-on-one instruction throughout the week as needed, however younger students may require additional parental supervision and support in course navigation and proceeding through coursework. It is important for the parent to ensure their child is completing his/her own work so teachers know how to provide additional learning support.

During registration, you will create your child’s Student Account and your Parent/Guardian Account. From approving course requests to monitoring progress, this Parent/Guardian Account allows you to have a hands-on approach to your child’s academic life at FLVS.

With your Parent/Guardian Account you will have:

• 24-7 online access to submitted and/or graded assignments and your child's grade book
• Extensive access to teachers, including monthly phone calls
• Monthly progress reports emailed to parent emails
• Regular email updates from teachers

Some questions you can ask yourself to determine if this is the right program for you include:

Does my student enjoy working online? Will I be willing to make sure my student stays on task and keeps pace with the assignments?

If the answers are yes, FLVS Elementary may be the right fit for your family!

Yes, students can withdraw. We encourage communication with the teacher prior to withdrawal and we always work to discuss issues with parents as they arise.

Most students will sign up for courses for the grade level they qualify to attend according to their age and prior school recommendation. However, there are individualized options for students to work at a higher-grade level.

• Public and private school students: Require approval from their school of record.
• Homeschool and FLVS Full Time students: Require approval from both parent and FLVS Instructional Leader for that grade level. FLVS follows an acceleration policy to ensure it is in the best interest of the student.

Once your child is placed, the teacher will work to make sure the placement is academically appropriate.

All elementary students at FLVS are encouraged to engage in real-world experiences and applications to help make meaningful connections. Within our courses, custom interactive activities provide opportunities to practice skills. A variety of books, recordings, and resources are also available through an online elementary media center.

Students may also participate in school-wide events and celebrations, such as the 100th Day of School or Vocabulary Parades. Elementary clubs, guest speakers, and face-to-face meet ups and field trips held across the state offer other ways for students to build relationships with teachers and classmates.