02 · What happens, and when
Your first weeks in the district
Coming from another state mid-year, your child does not wait for a new IEP meeting before services start.
-
The day you enroll
Comparable services begin
Under federal law and Florida Rule 6A-6.0334, the new district, in consultation with you, must provide services comparable to the ones in your child's existing IEP right away. Not identical, but similar in type and frequency. Bring the IEP to enrollment so nothing stalls.
-
Early weeks
The district decides whether to re-evaluate
Because you're crossing state lines, the district may conduct its own initial evaluation if it determines one is necessary. Florida's eligibility criteria are not identical to every other state's, so this step is common, and comparable services continue while it happens.
-
After that
A new Florida IEP is written
The district develops, adopts and implements a new IEP that meets Florida requirements. You are a member of that team. Ask for the draft in advance if you want time to read it.
County-to-county inside Florida is the smoothest version of this move.
-
The day you enroll
Comparable services begin
The new Florida district, in consultation with you, provides services comparable to the IEP from your previous Florida district.
-
Then, one of two things
The district adopts the IEP, or writes a new one
Unlike an out-of-state move, there is no re-evaluation step built into the rule. The new district either adopts your existing IEP as-is, or develops and implements a new one.
-
Worth knowing
Service availability can affect placement
If a service in the IEP isn't offered at your zoned school, districts generally place the student at the closest school where comparable services are available. Ask about this before you commit to an address.
A plan written by a school outside the U.S. isn't an IEP under U.S. law, so the path looks different.
-
At enrollment
Submit the documentation anyway
Foreign school reports, private evaluations and medical records carry no automatic transfer right, but they're the evidence the district uses to decide what to do next. Certified English translations are usually expected.
-
Your move
Request an evaluation in writing
Ask the school in writing to evaluate your child for ESE eligibility. Dating the request matters, Florida's evaluation timelines run from the day the district receives your written consent.
-
If eligible
An IEP is developed under Florida criteria
Eligibility is decided against Florida's categories, which may not map onto the labels used in your previous country.
A 504 plan sits under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, not under IDEA. That one distinction changes almost everything about the move.
-
First thing to know
There's no "comparable services" guarantee
The automatic transfer protection that applies to IEPs does not apply to 504 plans. The receiving district reviews your documentation and writes its own plan.
-
At enrollment
Hand the 504 plan to the school directly
Give it to the school's 504 coordinator, not just the front office, and ask for written confirmation it was received. Attach the evaluations or medical documentation the original plan was based on.
-
Early weeks
The school convenes its own 504 team
They determine eligibility and accommodations under district procedures. Accommodations that were routine elsewhere may need to be re-justified here.
-
Also worth asking
Whether an ESE evaluation is warranted
Some students who had a 504 plan elsewhere meet Florida's ESE eligibility criteria. You can request an evaluation in writing at any point.
In Florida, gifted is part of ESE, with an EP (Educational Plan) rather than an IEP. This surprises most families arriving from out of state.
-
The day you enroll
Your EP travels with you
Florida's transfer rule covers IEPs and EPs alike. The new district provides comparable services, then either adopts the existing EP or develops a new one.
-
Then
Delivery model may differ
Gifted programming varies by school, pull-out, cluster grouping, or a dedicated center. Same eligibility, different day-to-day.
-
First thing to know
Gifted eligibility does not transfer automatically
Gifted isn't covered by IDEA, so the federal comparable-services protection doesn't apply. Florida decides eligibility against its own criteria.
-
At enrollment
Submit the full testing file
Bring the actual score reports, not just the plan. Districts generally want to see the underlying evaluation before deciding whether to accept it or retest.
-
Early weeks
The district accepts the scores or re-screens
Practice varies. Ask directly whether out-of-state testing is accepted and, if not, when the next screening window opens.
-
At enrollment
Expect Florida screening
Gifted identification from a school system outside the U.S. is generally not carried over. Submit what you have and ask about the district's screening process and timing.
-
Ask early
Screening windows are scheduled
Gifted screening often runs on a set calendar rather than on demand, so the timing of your move can matter.
If you suspect your child needs support but nothing is in place yet, the process starts with you, in writing.
-
Step one
Put the request in writing, and date it
Ask the school in writing to evaluate your child for ESE eligibility. Verbal requests to a teacher don't start any clock. Keep a copy.
-
Step two
The school responds with a process
Florida schools use a multi-tiered support system, so you may first be offered interventions and progress monitoring rather than immediate testing. You can still ask, in writing, that an evaluation be considered.
-
Step three
Consent starts the timeline
Evaluation timelines run from the district's receipt of your written consent, so sign and return it promptly and note the date.
-
Then
Eligibility determines the plan
If your child qualifies under an ESE category, an IEP follows. If not, a 504 plan may still be available for a disability that substantially limits a major life activity.
03 · Before you leave
Records to get in hand
Request paper or PDF copies from the current school yourself. Records that travel only school-to-school are the single most common cause of delay.
- CoreThe current signed IEP, all pagesIncluding the services grid and any amendments made during the year
- CoreMost recent evaluation and eligibility reportsPsychological, educational, speech, OT, PT, whichever apply
- CoreMost recent progress reports on IEP goals
- UsefulBehavior intervention plan and functional behavior assessment, if any
- UsefulPrior written notices and meeting notesUseful if you ever need to show what was agreed and when
- UsefulImmunization record on Florida form DH 680 and a physical on DH 3040Florida-specific forms; a Florida provider can transcribe out-of-state records
- CoreThe current 504 plan
- CoreThe evaluation or medical documentation it was based onA 504 plan on its own often isn't enough for the new team to act
- CoreDiagnosing provider's letter, if there is one
- UsefulTesting accommodation historyExtended time and similar accommodations on state or college-entrance testing
- UsefulImmunization record on Florida form DH 680 and a physical on DH 3040
- CoreThe current EP or gifted service plan
- CoreFull cognitive and achievement score reportsActual reports with subtest scores, summary letters are rarely enough
- CoreDate and name of the assessment usedDistricts check whether testing is recent and on an accepted instrument
- UsefulTeacher checklists or referral forms from the identification process
- UsefulImmunization record on Florida form DH 680 and a physical on DH 3040
- CoreReport cards and standardized test results from the last two years
- CoreAny private evaluation you've paid forDistricts must consider outside evaluations, though they aren't bound by them
- CoreWritten notes from teachers about concerns raised
- UsefulMedical records relevant to attention, learning, speech, hearing or vision
- UsefulImmunization record on Florida form DH 680 and a physical on DH 3040
Arriving from outside the U.S.
Certified English translations of school and medical records are generally expected. Districts also register English language learners separately from ESE, a child can be both, and the two processes run in parallel rather than one replacing the other.
04 · Who to call
The district ESE office
Start with the school your address is zoned to. The district office below is where to go when the school can't answer or the answer doesn't match what you were told.
City-to-county mapping from the Florida Department of State City/County List. Florida school districts are county-based, so the county determines the district.
One question to ask every district
"Is the service my child needs available at the school this address is zoned to, or would placement be at a different school?" The answer can change which addresses actually work for your family, and it's easier to ask before a lease or contract than after.
05 · Beyond the zoned school
Florida school choice and scholarships
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
Florida's disability scholarship, which absorbed the former McKay and Gardiner programs. It's open to students from age three who have an IEP or an approved diagnosis, and it can be used to attend a different public school, a public school in an adjacent district, or to fund an education savings account for approved expenses like private tuition, therapies and tutoring. Awards average roughly $10,000 and applications run through Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation. Participation is capped and funding is not guaranteed.
Relevant to a move: Florida residency is required, with an exception for dependents of active-duty military with permanent change of station orders to Florida. Applications for a school year typically open the preceding February, so timing your application against your move date matters.
A 504 plan alone may not qualify for FES-UA
Florida's disability scholarship (FES-UA) is generally tied to an IEP or an approved diagnosis rather than to a 504 plan by itself. Families with a 504 plan sometimes qualify through the diagnosis route instead. Check current eligibility criteria directly with Step Up For Students or AAA Scholarship Foundation before assuming either way.
Florida also operates broader school-choice scholarships that are not disability-based, plus open enrollment across district schools with available seats.
Gifted programming is a placement question, not a scholarship one
Florida's disability scholarship doesn't apply to gifted identification. What matters instead is where gifted services are delivered: some schools run pull-out or cluster models, others host dedicated centers that draw from a wider area. Districts also operate magnet and choice programs that are separate from gifted identification and have their own application windows, often closing months before the school year starts.
Choice options exist regardless of eligibility
Florida operates open enrollment across district schools with available seats, plus magnet and choice programs with their own application windows. If an ESE evaluation later finds your child eligible, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities may become an option as well.
