Florida's public schools are run county by county, not by one central office. The state sets the rules and the tests, but each of the 67 county school districts hires staff, draws attendance zones, and decides which school your child attends. This page lists thousands of campuses, from elementary schools in Tallahassee to charter schools in Pembroke Pines, so you can find the right building and the right phone number before you make the trip.

Who Runs Public Schools in Florida: State Law, the Department of Education, and County Boards

The Florida Constitution requires the Legislature to provide a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools. The detailed rules sit in the K-20 Education Code, Chapters 1000 through 1013 of the Florida Statutes. If a school policy puzzles you, the answer usually traces back to one of those chapters.

At the state level, the Florida Department of Education in Tallahassee carries out policy set by the State Board of Education and led by the Commissioner of Education. The department publishes the annual school grades, runs statewide testing, certifies teachers, and sets academic standards. It does not enroll students, assign bus stops, or settle day-to-day disputes at a campus.

Those jobs belong to Florida's 67 county school districts. Every county is its own district, and each has an elected school board that adopts the budget, approves the calendar, draws attendance zones, and authorizes charter schools. Board elections are nonpartisan. Some counties elect their superintendent, while others have the board appoint one. Board meetings are open to the public under Florida's Sunshine Law, and agendas are normally posted ahead of time.

Two statewide options sit outside the usual county map. Florida Virtual School offers online courses to students across the state, and several universities operate lab schools. Attendance is compulsory from age 6 to 16, so every family with a child in that range needs an enrolled student, a registered home education program, or a private school.

Miami to the Panhandle: How Florida School Districts Differ by Region

A family in Miami and a family in rural North Florida deal with very different systems, even though the same statutes apply. The big urban districts, including Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Hillsborough County, run hundreds of campuses each. Miami-Dade is among the largest school systems in the United States, and its size shows in our listings, from North Hialeah Elementary School in Hialeah to Miami Macarthur South in Homestead.

These districts offer more choice. Expect magnet programs, career academies, and a large charter sector. Shore Elementary School Magnet School in Tampa, Ben Gamla Charter School North Campus in Hollywood, and Atlantic Montessori Charter School in Pembroke Pines show how traditional, magnet, and charter schools sit side by side. The trade-off is paperwork: application windows, lottery deadlines, and busy phone lines.

Central Florida is a patchwork. Orlando, Kissimmee, and Lakeland sit close together, yet the schools in them answer to different boards. Access Charter on East Colonial Drive in Orlando is in Orange County. Lake Marion Creek Middle School, which carries a Kissimmee address, and Carlton School in Lakeland are both in Polk County.

Coastal and Panhandle counties are smaller. A. K. Suter Elementary School in Pensacola (Escambia County), Cedar Grove Elementary School in Panama City (Bay County), and Canopy Oaks Elementary School in Tallahassee (Leon County) each serve a single metro area rather than a sprawling region. In the rural counties of North Florida, districts may have only a handful of schools, several grade levels on one campus, and longer bus rides.

Weather matters too. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and districts announce closures through their own websites, phone alerts, and local news. Many districts also use school buildings as emergency shelters, which can extend closures after a storm has passed.

What Florida School Listings Cover and What to Check Before You Visit

Our listings include more than neighborhood elementary schools. You will find several kinds of programs, and each works a little differently:

Check the county before you rely on a mailing address. Fruit Cove Middle School uses a Jacksonville address, yet it belongs to Saint Johns County, not Duval. A family there would work with the St. Johns district, and the Duval County district office could not help with enrollment. The same issue appears across the state, because postal city names rarely match district lines.

Before visiting, call the number on the listing. Most schools ask visitors to sign in at the front office and show photo ID, and many do not take walk-in registrations during testing weeks or the first days of school. Ask which office handles enrollment, since some districts register students at the school and others use a central or regional center.

Enrolling a Child in a Florida Public School: Age Cutoffs, Documents, and Zoning

A child must turn five on or before September 1 to enter kindergarten in Florida. Compulsory attendance begins at six. Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten program is free for children who turn four by September 1. It runs through approved providers and some school-based classrooms, and families apply separately from kindergarten registration.

Districts differ on details, but most ask for the same core documents. Plan to bring a certified birth certificate or other proof of age, proof of residence such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill, the child's Florida Certificate of Immunization (Form DH 680), and a school-entry health exam on Form DH 3040 if the student is new to Florida schools. Transfer students should also bring recent report cards or a withdrawal form from the previous school.

Most students attend the school zoned for their address. Florida's controlled open enrollment law, section 1002.31 of the statutes, requires districts to offer parents some choice among schools when space allows. Transportation to a chosen school is usually the family's responsibility. Students who live about two miles or more from their assigned school are generally eligible for district bus service, and districts can add routes where walking conditions are hazardous.

Some families get extra protection. Students experiencing homelessness can enroll right away under federal law, even without every document. Military families benefit from Florida's participation in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. At enrollment, ask about Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services if your child has a disability, and about ESOL support if your child is learning English.

Public schools in Florida are operated by independent school districts governed by locally elected boards and overseen by the Florida Department of Education, which sets academic standards, graduation requirements, and accountability frameworks for all public schools in the state. Florida distributes state funding to districts through a formula that accounts for student enrollment, local property wealth, and special population needs.

Public Schools locations are available in 431 cities across Florida. They are spread across 68 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of public schools include Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, reflecting larger urban populations with extensive school district networks serving tens of thousands of students across many campuses.

Families new to Florida should contact their local school district's enrollment office to determine their assigned school, learn about available school choice programs, and understand immunization and residency documentation requirements before the start of the school year.

Public Schools by Counties

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Parents and guardians in Florida can find their assigned public school by entering their home address on the local school district's website. Enrollment documentation requirements in Florida typically include proof of residency, birth certificate, and current immunization records, so gathering these materials before the enrollment window opens can prevent delays.

Browse Public Schools by county across Florida to find the nearest location.

Using Florida School Information Through the School Year

Florida districts set their own calendars, so start and end dates differ by county. Most begin classes in August and finish in late May or early June, and each district posts its calendar, holidays, and early-release days online. Registration for the next year often opens in the spring, while magnet and school choice applications can close months before classes begin. If you are moving to Florida in the summer, contact the district before you sign a lease, because your address determines your zoned school.

A phone call saves time. The listings on this page include numbers such as 941-361-6480 for Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota and 239-377-6200 for Avalon Elementary School in Naples. Ask the front office three things: which office handles enrollment, what hours it is open, and whether you need an appointment. During the first weeks of school and the weeks after a hurricane, lines can be long, so early-morning visits often go faster.

Specialized programs follow different rules from neighborhood schools. The Teen Parent Program in West Palm Beach, within Palm Beach County, and Alternative Learning Center Central in Fort Myers may need a counselor or district office to approve placement. Records usually move between Florida districts electronically, but keep your own copies of report cards, immunization forms, and any IEP or 504 plan. If you move between counties mid-year, ask the new school to request records on the first day.

Florida Public Schools: Questions Families Ask

A child must turn five on or before September 1 of the school year to enroll in kindergarten. A child whose fifth birthday falls after that date generally waits until the following year. Compulsory attendance starts at age six and continues through age 16. Many families use Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten program the year before, which is open to children who turn four by September 1. To confirm the registration window and required paperwork, call the district enrollment office or the school itself, such as Crookshank Elementary School in St. Augustine at 904-547-7840.

Often yes, if space is available. Section 1002.31 of the Florida Statutes requires each district to offer controlled open enrollment, which lets parents apply to schools beyond their zoned campus. Capacity limits apply, and districts may set priority rules, such as preference for siblings or for students who live in the attendance area. Magnet programs, such as Shore Elementary School Magnet School in Tampa, usually have their own application and sometimes a lottery. Transportation to a choice school is typically the parent's job. Check your district's choice page for deadlines, because they differ from Hillsborough to Orange to Miami-Dade.

Bring proof of age, such as a birth certificate. Add proof of address, such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill, along with a Florida Certificate of Immunization (Form DH 680) and, if your child is new to Florida schools, a school-entry health exam (Form DH 3040). Transferring students should bring a recent report card or withdrawal form, and students with an IEP or 504 plan should bring those documents. Residency rules vary by district, so call first. If your family is homeless or doubled up with relatives, tell staff right away, because federal law allows immediate enrollment while paperwork is gathered.

The Florida Department of Education publishes school grades from A to F each year. The grades draw on statewide test results, student learning gains, and, for high schools, factors such as graduation rate and acceleration. Students in the tested grades take the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) and other state exams, which replaced the Florida Standards Assessments. A letter grade is a useful snapshot, not the full picture. Visit the school, ask about class sizes, ESE and ESOL services, and after-school programs, and read the district's school report card. A school serving many new English learners may have strengths a grade does not show.

Charter schools are public schools run by a nonprofit governing board under a contract, called a charter, with the local school district. Section 1002.33 of the Florida Statutes sets the framework. They charge no tuition, are open to students across the district, and use a lottery when applications exceed available seats. Examples in our listings include Access Charter in Orlando, Ben Gamla Pinellas Charter School in Clearwater, and Atlantic Montessori Charter School in Pembroke Pines. Each charter sets its own application window, often well before the school year, and may or may not provide bus service. Call the school directly for deadlines.

Start with the teacher, then the assistant principal or principal, who can resolve most issues. If that fails, contact the district department that handles the matter, such as student services, ESE, or transportation, and then the superintendent's office. Every school board holds public meetings where you can speak during public comment, and Florida law gives the public a reasonable opportunity to be heard on items before the board. For a student with a disability, request an evaluation in writing and keep copies of everything. The Florida Department of Education also offers complaint and dispute resolution options for ESE services when local efforts do not work.