SpectrumBeaconHome / Playbooks / Florida IEP
How to get an IEP in Florida
Public-school path and parentally placed path. A services plan is not an IEP. Eligibility and services depend on the child and school setting.School routes and evaluation timelines checked September 12, 2026. Other source dates appear beside their claims.
What this is / who it is for
This playbook is for a parent who wants a district evaluation in Florida. Your child may be in public school, in a private school you chose, or in home education. The federal duty to find and evaluate children still applies. The plan you walk out with is not always an IEP.
If you take FES-UA, you often need a Matrix of Services even when you do not want a public-school placement. Read both playbooks. Do not treat them as the same document.
This page does not rewrite the federal notes. Child Find is the duty to find and evaluate. The live federal page for that duty is IEP vs 504, and private school rights.
The FES-UA exception Florida DOE wrote down
A Child Find evaluation for a child who remains in a parent-chosen nonprofit private school does not itself create an individual right to FAPE services there. FLDOE describes an evaluation and IEP route for FES-UA families seeking a matrix update, public-school options or enrollment. The district determines eligibility before developing an IEP. Parents seeking public-school FAPE can contact their district of residence whether or not they receive FES-UA.
VerifiedSource: Florida DOE Technical Assistance Paper DPS-2024-125, B-12 and B-17 · How we verify
The 30-day IEP and matrix clock
If your child has no IEP or matrix, you may request a district evaluation at any time. An existing matrix may be reevaluated once every 3 years, or sooner to correct an error. For the FES-UA matrix request, the district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after it receives the request.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Matrix Level of Services · How we verify
Path A. Public school
- Put the request in writing. Date it.
- The district needs your written consent before it evaluates.
- Florida generally uses 60 calendar days after the district receives parental consent, with exclusions for specified school holidays and breaks, summer vacation, certain absences and qualifying disaster closures. Limited exceptions and written extensions can apply. Ask the district for the consent date and its deadline calculation. A request can lead to consent or a written refusal when an evaluation is not warranted. Read the Florida timeline sources. Checked September 12, 2026.
- Eligibility is a team decision. A private diagnosis does not automatically create an IEP.
- If eligible, the IEP meeting must happen within 30 calendar days of the eligibility decision.
FDLRS Child Find is the free screening door for many children about 34 months through age 5 who are not already in public school or Head Start. See FDLRS on the Florida hub. Under 3, the parallel door is Early Steps.
Path B. Nonprofit private school you chose
For IDEA equitable services in Florida, parentally placed private-school students attend nonprofit private schools. The district where the school is located handles Child Find. This route does not give each child an individual right to all the services available in public school.
Florida Rule 6A-6.030281 says no parentally placed private school student has an individual right to some or all of the special education the student would receive in public school. An eligible child may get a services plan paid from a limited pot of federal IDEA money. Not every eligible child gets services.
Path C. Home education or a for-profit private school
Florida excludes these settings from the IDEA nonprofit private-school equitable-services route. Contact the district where your child lives about Child Find. Ask separately about FES-UA matrix needs or public-school enrollment. FES-UA terminology does not create an equitable-services entitlement.
Florida DOE guidance, A-1, B-2 and F-2. Checked September 12, 2026.
Services plan versus IEP
| IEP | Services plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual setting | Public school enrollment | Eligible student in a nonprofit private school |
| What it is | The written FAPE plan | The specific equitable services the district has decided to offer |
| Individual right to full services | Yes, if eligible and enrolled | No. A child can be eligible and still receive little or nothing |
Florida DOE TAP DPS-2024-125, E-5, says an IEP is never appropriate as a services plan. A 504 plan is a third document. See the federal IEP-vs-504 note.
The written request template
Subject: Request for evaluation under Child Find, [Child’s full name], DOB [date]
Dear [ESE Director / Parentally Placed Private School office],
I am the parent of [child’s name], a resident of [county] County. I am concerned about [learning, communication, development or behavior]. [Optional: My child has a documented diagnosis of ...]. My child is enrolled at [public school name / private school name / home education].
I am requesting a full individual evaluation under IDEA Child Find.
[Pick the lines that are true:]
- [Child] attends our zoned public school. I am requesting eligibility and, if eligible, an IEP.
- [Child] attends [nonprofit private school]. I am requesting Child Find and information about equitable services.
- [Child] is in [home education / a for-profit private school]. I am requesting Child Find through the district of residence.
- [Child] receives FES-UA. I am requesting evaluation and, if eligible, an IEP and Matrix of Services so the district can complete the matrix. I understand the FES-UA handbook gives the district 30 days to complete the IEP and matrix after the district receives the request. Please confirm the receipt date.
[If available: I can provide copies of private evaluations.] Please send the consent forms and the next meeting dates in writing.
Thank you,
[Name, phone, email]
What this is not
- It is not a promise you will get an IEP. Eligibility is a team decision. Parentally placed children often receive a services plan, or no services, even after an evaluation.
- It is not legal advice. For a refusal or a missed timeline, a special education advocate or attorney is the right help.
Common questions
My child is on FES-UA. Do I still need an IEP?
A qualifying diagnosis can support scholarship eligibility when the other program conditions are met. For a matrix update, public-school options or intended enrollment, FLDOE describes a district evaluation, eligibility determination and, if the child is eligible, an IEP. Parents seeking public-school FAPE may contact their district of residence whether or not they receive FES-UA.
FDOE private-school guidance, A-1, B-2, B-12, B-17 and F-2. Checked September 12, 2026.
Does a private-school Child Find evaluation guarantee services?
No. A child in a parent-chosen nonprofit private school does not have an individual right to all the FAPE services available in public school. An eligible child may receive equitable services through a services plan, but eligibility does not guarantee those services.
FDOE private-school guidance, A-1, B-2, B-12, B-17 and F-2. Checked September 12, 2026.
Which district should a Florida family contact?
For Child Find and equitable services at a nonprofit private school, contact the district where the school is located. For home education or a for-profit private school, contact the district of residence. Parents seeking public-school FAPE can also contact their district of residence.
FDOE private-school guidance, A-1, B-2, B-12, B-17 and F-2. Checked September 12, 2026.
Sources
- 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB)
- Florida DOE TAP DPS-2024-125
- Florida Rule 6A-6.030281
- IEP vs 504 and private-school rights (Child Find clocks and the services-plan rule)
- The Florida Matrix Playbook