Homeschoolers Program

Waves Christian Academy is now providing services to all Florida Homeschooling Families, this is referred to as an umbrella, cover or “600” school. WCA exists to support and facilitate educational choice. This includes traditional and non-traditional schooling from private school to homeschool.

What is a 600 School?
The name “600 School” has come to be applied to Florida private schools that offer a homeschooling option. The reference to ‘600’ has to do with the number of the state statutes that govern the incorporation of private schools. From a legal point of view, there is no difference between a private school that offers a homeschooling option and one that does not.

What is an Umbrella School?
An Umbrella School is the name often given to non-campus-based, virtual or hybrid private schools, like Waves Christian Academy that exists to support multiple methods of education including homeschooling. Umbrella schools are sometimes known as Cover schools, based on their providing legal cover of homeschooling to the families enrolled in them.

Why Enroll?
Enrollment in Waves Christian Academy satisfies the FL state’s compulsory attendance statutes and you do not have to register with the superintendent or school district as a home educator. Homeschool students enrolled at WCA have the legal status of our traditional private school students. This is a legal distinction and not a practical one. In practice, families who enroll in one of our Homeschool Programs at Waves Christian Academy homeschool their own children. However, they do not have to submit a Notice of Intent, undergo an annual evaluation nor comply with any other part of the home education statutes in the state of FL. Instead, families enrolling in WCA report attendance to our office, and, in turn, we comply with state statutes governing private schools. Waves Christian Academy is registered with the Florida Department of Education as a Private School.

Enrolling with a Private School Vs. Home School Statutes

Feature/Requirement	Private School	Home School Statutes
Register with Superintendent	No	Yes
Maintain Portfolio	No	Yes
File Annual Evaluation with School District	No	Yes
Possible “audit” of records by School District	No	Yes
Adhere to Florida State Attendance Requirements	Yes	No
Support of Trained Educators	Yes	No
Be able to learn with other students	Yes	No
Take Classes with Florida Virtual School Flex	Yes	Yes

Why WCA?
We understand homeschooling can sometimes be difficult for parents and lonely for students. We believe homeschooling has no limits, therefore it should not be limited to academic resources or student life of a traditional school campus. Our programs allow homeschooled students to be part of the WCA family. Students can attend field trips, outings, and gatherings. Can take one of our teacher-led classes (additional fee may apply depending on program), students are able to walk in our graduation ceremonies and share their achievements with other students. Students are able to get teacher support, academic counseling, and college prep. Our Homeschooling students even become part of our student life “House” groups from day one.

The Programs
We recognize that some homeschooling families may be looking for a lot of support, others prefer minimal involvement, and some just looking for a way their students can interact with other local students. To that end, outside of our traditional Academy enrollment we now offer two new programs so Florida homeschooling families can select the level of support and guidance that’s right for them.

Program A:
Program A features our Basic services to our homeschooling families. It is open to students in grades 1^st through 12^th. Parents choose their own at-home curriculum and teach all courses to their students at home. Parents submit attendance records to WCA, and student records are kept by the Academy for yearly state reporting that meets all state FL Department of Education requirements for Private School Students. Students are issued a WCA Student ID that can be used for student identification, store discounts, and free access to various events hosted by WCA throughout the year. This is good for families who want little involvement with the Academy and only want to meet the basic requirements for homeschooling under an umbrella school.

Program B:
Program B features our Advanced services to our homeschooling families. It is open to students in grades 1^st through 12^th. In addition to the Basic Services from Program A students can choose to join individual WCA courses thought by our teachers (fees apply and may be online) and use the same curriculum used by WCA. Progress review and report cards are issued by WCA for each class. Parents have the option to an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) review for their students. Students can receive WCA course credit for High School graduation. Students also receive official transcripts and diploma under Waves Christian Academy. Graduates can walk with other WCA Students during the graduation ceremony.

Feature/Benefit	Program A Basic	Program B Adv. Program
Grade Levels	1-12	1-12
Enrollment Letter	Yes	Yes
Student Photo ID	Yes	Yes
Home-Based Program	Yes	Hybrid
Family Selected Curriculum	Yes	No
Year-Round Enrollment	Yes	No (10 Months Open)
WCA Selected Curriculum	No	Yes
Attendance Reporting (by Parent)	Monthly	By School (Per Class)
Grade Reporting (by Parent)	Quarterly	By School (Per Class)
Curriculum Review	No	Yes
Grade Review	No	Yes
Credit Verification	No	Yes
Progress Review	No	By School (Per Class)
Report Cards Issued	No	Yes
Diploma Issued	No (Parent)	Yes (WCA)
Florida Virtual School	Yes	Yes
Graduation Ceremony	Yes	Yes
Guidance Advisor	No	Yes
Transcript	No	Yes
Parent-Teacher Handbook	Yes	Yes
Access to Local Events & Activities	Yes	Yes
Part of House System*	Yes	Yes

*To learn more about WCA student life House System click here.

Enrollment Process

The enrollment process will be complete when we receive the following required documents and payment:

Enrollment Homeschool Program Application
Signed Handbook Agreement
Financial Homeschool Agreement along with Registration Fee
Records Transfer Request (If in Advance Program)
One picture of each student for student file and Student ID
Birth Certificate (copy)
Schedule of Immunization Records (Form 680) or Exemption Form
Florida Department of Health Certificate (physical exam within the last 12 months) (Form 3040)

Homeschool Tuition

Program	Registration	Annual Tuition
		In Full	Monthly (x10)
Basic	$25 First Student $15 Additional Student	$50	N/A
Advanced	$50 First Student $25 Additional Student	$300 grades 1 – 8 $400 grades 9-11 $500 grades 12	$35 grades 1-8 $45 grades 9-11 $55 grades 12

1. If the Monthly plan is selected, the first monthly payment is due at registration and subsequent payments are due by the 5th of each month for ten (10) months, starting with the first month reported and continuing consecutively. A late fee of $10 is applied each day to any payment received after the 5th of the month.
      2. Returned Checks or insufficient funds will incur a $34 fee.
      3. Registration fees are not refundable unless your child is not accepted into the school.
      4. Enrollment is for one school year (180 days) or one grade level, whichever comes first.
      5. Tuition is refundable for up to 30 days after registration; you must notify the school in writing via email or USPS. If using email, must be from the email address on file.
     6. No refunds will be made, nor records released if a student’s account is not current.
     7. Any missed or late payments of more than 30 Days will be grounds for student enrollment and dismissal from WCA.