Homeschool benefits and savings in Tallahassee
Your participating Leon County homeschool student in K-12 can ride StarMetro’s fixed routes fare-free with a signed agreement and valid STAR card. Apply through the non-Leon County Schools route; students in K-5 must ride with an approved companion.
Who qualifies
Leon County K-12 student
The Student Transportation for Academics and Responsibilities (STAR) program includes participating homeschooled students in Leon County.
Has an agreement and card
You must submit the non-Leon County Schools application and have a signed agreement on file.
Younger child has a companion
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students must travel with a sixth-grade-or-older sibling, legal guardian or parental designee. Students in grades 6-12 can travel independently.
What you get
The city STAR page publishes fixed-route fare rules, reduced student fares and replacement charges.
- Fixed-route ride with STAR card
- Fare-free
- Weekend and school-break fixed routes
- Fare-free within coverage area
- Student ride without STAR card
- $0.60 with student identification to driver
- FLEX premium service
- $0.60 each way with student ID or STAR card
- Replacement STAR card
- $3 fee
How to get it
- Before riding
Submit the homeschool application
Use the non-Leon County Schools application linked on the city STAR page and complete the required agreement.
- After the email notice
Pick up the card
Collect it at C.K. Steele Bus Plaza, 111 W. Tennessee Street, or the StarMetro office, 555 Appleyard Drive.
- For each trip
Plan the route and show the card
Choose a destination within fixed-route coverage and arrive at the stop at least five minutes early. Tap or swipe your child’s card on the farebox.
- If the card is lost
Report it and request replacement
Email StarProgram@Talgov.com even if you do not need a new card. Replacement cards cost $3.
- Through graduation
Keep meeting the student rules
The agreement and pass remain valid until graduation or until the student is no longer enrolled in school.
What it includes
Included
- Fixed-route student fares
- Weekend rides
- School-break rides
Not included
- Accompanying adult fares
- Fare-free FLEX rides
- FLEX offers a $0.60 student fare each way with student ID or a STAR card, and Big Bend Transit express routes are premium services outside the fare-free offer.
- Trips outside fixed-route coverage
Who to contact
StarMetro handles homeschool STAR applications, card pickup and non-public-school replacement cards.
StarProgram@Talgov.com STAR applications and riding rules
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Florida
You must file the initial written notice with the county superintendent within 30 days of starting. You must file a termination notice and the annual evaluation within 30 days of ending the program.
Florida sets these rules:
- Subjects: Parent-directed instruction; Florida law does not prescribe a specific curriculum for a home education program.
- Testing: Provide an annual educational evaluation using one statutory method; a portfolio review is one option, and an alternate method requires agreement with the district superintendent.
- Records: Keep a portfolio with an activities log made as instruction occurs, reading-material titles, and work samples. Preserve it for two years and make it available for inspection on 15 days’ written notice.
- Teachers: Florida does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Florida also has two education savings accounts that home-educated students can use.
- The Personalized Education Program funds a Florida K-12 student's approved education costs through a scholarship organization, with income and priority rules. It is separate from registering a home education program with your district.
- The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities funds approved education and disability costs for a student with a qualifying disability, including one in a registered home education program. The award depends on the disability and its services.
Read the Florida homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Florida
Questions parents ask
- Can my homeschooled child get a StarMetro STAR card?
- Yes. The city explicitly directs parents of homeschooled students to the application for students outside Leon County Schools.
- Can my young child ride StarMetro alone?
- Not in grades K-5. A child in K-5 needs a qualifying older sibling, guardian, or parent-designated companion; students in grades 6-12 can ride independently.
- Can we use the card on weekends?
- Yes. The city permits trips anywhere within fixed-route coverage on weekends and during school breaks.
- Does my child's card cover my fare too?
- No. STAR cards belong to individual students and cannot be transferred to family members, so accompanying adults pay their own fares.
- Are FLEX and intercounty express buses free?
- No.
- What if we forget the STAR card?
- Your child pays the $0.60 student fare. Your child must identify as a student, and the driver can request proof of age or school enrollment for an unaccompanied rider.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
A student fare helps with trips to classes and activities. We handle the learning at home, with lessons built around your child's interests and feedback on their work.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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