SpectrumBeaconFlorida Matrix of Services
Use this FES-UA request checklist to contact your school district. Check whether you need an initial matrix or a reevaluation, and keep a copy of the request. The 2026-27 handbook sets different conditions for each process. Request and reevaluation rules were rechecked September 12, 2026; other facts retain their own source dates.
The short version
If your child has an autism diagnosis and a Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES-UA), check the funding level on the award notice. Here is how the published bands work:
The default tier
A qualifying diagnosis uses the 251-253 district band when other scholarship requirements are met. The published 2026-27 amounts in that band run $9,627 to $14,381 by county and grade. A district matrix may establish a different level.
VerifiedSource: FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts, 2026-27 (Step Up For Students, official PDF) · How we verify
The higher tiers
A district Matrix of Services can place your child at a higher tier if documented needs support it. On the official 2026-27 PDF, level 254 runs $21,379 to $25,701. Level 255 runs $34,429 to $39,091. Those high bands fell in many counties versus 2025-26.
VerifiedSource: FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts, 2026-27 (Step Up For Students, official PDF) · How we verify
The 30-day matrix rule
If your child has no IEP or matrix, you can request an evaluation at any time. Existing matrices can be re-evaluated once every three years, or sooner to correct an error. Public school attendance is not required. The district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days and notify you and FLDOE within 10 calendar days.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Matrix Level of Services · How we verify
The district IEP team determines the services the child needs. The matrix reflects those documented services and their intensity. Bring current reports and explain needs that the records do not describe.
Higher matrix levels reflect more intensive services. For the funding bands and diagnosis route, read FES-UA award tiers. This page is the request itself.
What the Matrix of Services is
The matrix is a form your local school district completes. It scores how much support your child needs in five areas:
- Curriculum and learning: how much help your child needs to learn (modified work, specialized instruction, one-on-one support)
- Social and emotional behavior: behavior plans, emotional support, safety concerns
- Independent functioning: daily living skills: toileting, feeding, dressing, transitions
- Health care: medical needs during the school day
- Communication: speech services, communication devices, being nonverbal or minimally verbal
Each area gets a score. The total maps to a funding level the state calls 251 through 255. Levels 1-3 (251-253) all pay the same default amount. Levels 4 and 5 (254-255) pay more.
Two facts to hold onto:
- Step Up For Students cannot create or change a matrix level. Their own handbook says so. Only your school district can.
- The district may use private evaluations. Your child’s diagnostic report, speech evaluations, ABA assessments, and OT reports all count as evidence. You are not starting from zero.
Your rights, straight from the handbook
The 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB) states:
- If your child has no IEP or matrix level, “you may request an evaluation from your local school district at any time.”
- If your child already has one, you may request a re-evaluation once every three years, or sooner if correcting an error. Ask the district whether the new evidence supports an earlier review. A change in needs is not automatically a documented error.
The clocks, in order
For a FES-UA matrix request, the district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after receiving the request. Within 10 calendar days after completion, the district notifies the parent and Florida DOE. The statute then gives DOE 10 days after district notification to notify the parent and scholarship organization of the award. These notice deadlines do not guarantee a deposit date.
VerifiedSource: Florida Statutes, section 1002.394(7)(b) · How we verify
The re-evaluation window
A family may request a matrix re-evaluation once every three years, or sooner if correcting an error.
VerifiedSource: 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB), Matrix Level of Services · How we verify
FES-UA families in private school or home education can contact the district of residence about a matrix request. IDEA equitable services have different rules for nonprofit private schools, for-profit schools and home education. Read the Florida school routes.
The step-by-step
Step 1. Gather your documents first. Pull together everything in writing: the diagnostic report, speech and language evaluations, ABA assessments and behavior plans, OT and PT reports, any medical records that affect the school day, and notes from teachers or therapists about daily support needs. Organize them by the five areas above. Describe any needs the records leave out.
Step 2. Find the gaps. Read your documents like a stranger would. Does the paperwork actually say your child needs one-on-one support, or do you just know it? Does the speech report describe how your child communicates all day, or only test scores? If a real need is missing from the record, ask the treating therapist to write a current summary before the district evaluation. Therapists do this routinely when parents ask.
Step 3. Send the request in writing. Email the ESE department of your county district (and the Parentally Placed Private School office if your child is in private school). Keep it short. A template is below. The district receipt date starts the 30-day matrix clock. Keep proof of receipt.
Step 4. Go to the meetings with your binder. The district will evaluate and meet with you. Bring copies of everything. Answer questions about a typical day honestly and completely, including the hard parts. Explain any gaps in the records.
Step 5. Get the result and check it. You have the right to see the matrix score and how it was rated. If the level does not match your child’s documented needs, you can say so, provide the missing evidence, and request correction.
Step 6. Check the award notice. For a FES-UA matrix request, the district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after receiving the request. Within 10 calendar days after completion, the district notifies the parent and Florida DOE. The statute then gives DOE 10 days after district notification to notify the parent and scholarship organization of the award. These notice deadlines do not guarantee a deposit date.
The request letter template
Subject: Request for evaluation and Matrix of Services, [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. [He/She] has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and receives the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities. [He/She] is currently enrolled at [private school name / in home education].
I am requesting an evaluation and completion of a Matrix of Services for my child. I understand that under Florida law the district completes the IEP and matrix level of services within 30 days after receiving this request. Please confirm the receipt date.
I have current private evaluations and reports available and will provide copies. Please tell me the next steps and any forms you need from me.
Thank you,
[Name, phone, email]
Keep the sent request and the reply confirming district receipt.
What this is not
- It is not a way to inflate your child’s level. The matrix reflects the services and support intensity determined by the district team. Give accurate records and describe current needs.
- It is not legal advice, and we are not lawyers or doctors. This is education about a public process, drawn from official sources. For a dispute with a district, a special education advocate or attorney is the right help.
- It is not a guarantee of any dollar amount. Award amounts vary by county and year, districts make the rating decision, and programs change. The numbers here come from the official 2026-27 award PDF. Always check the current year’s table, linked below.
Common questions
My child is in private school. Can I request a Matrix of Services?
A family without an IEP or matrix may request an evaluation at any time. An existing matrix may be reevaluated once every three years, or sooner to correct an error. The district must complete the IEP and matrix within 30 days after receiving the request, then notify the parent and FLDOE within 10 calendar days after completion. Step Up cannot create or change the matrix.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
We applied with a diagnosis. Did we do it wrong?
A qualifying diagnosis can support an FES-UA application if other eligibility conditions are met. That route uses the base district band. A district matrix may support a different level.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
What if the district misses the 30 days?
Follow up in writing with the date the district received the request. Ask for the status and a written response. Keep copies. You can ask Florida DOE about the applicable requirement; a missed date does not itself guarantee a payment.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
Does the matrix determine our private insurance coverage?
The FES-UA matrix concerns education funding. Check health-plan benefits and authorization requirements separately. This guide does not decide what an individual insurance contract covers.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
What if my child’s needs have changed?
The handbook permits reevaluation of an existing matrix every three years, or sooner to correct an error. A change in needs is not automatically an error. Ask the district which process applies and what documentation it needs.
2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook. Checked September 12, 2026.
Sources
- 2026-27 FES-UA Family Handbook (WEB): matrix rights, the 30-day requirement, re-evaluation rules. The Hubfs FES-UA-Parent-Handbook.pdf is still 2025-26 (Effective April 2026). Do not cite it as 2026-27.
- FES-UA Scholarship Award Amounts, 2026-27 (official PDF): the dollar figures by tier
- Florida DOE Matrix of Services Handbook: the five domains and rating method
- Step Up For Students FES-UA program page
This guide is free. Share it with any family who needs it. If something here is out of date, report an error. Check the individual source dates before acting on a rule.