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    • when does school start, tax holidays
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    when does school start, tax holidays

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    Check your child’s school test results with our interactive map

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    • Tax-free period for school supplies ends on August 11th.
    • Most schools in Florida begin on August 12th.
    • Learn about the requirements schools must meet to ensure student safety.

    Florida students are running out of time to enjoy relaxing summer days.

    The first day of school is August 12 in most school districts in the state. The remaining schools begin classes the same week. The latest school start date in the state is August 15 for schools in Miami-Dade County.

    The bad news for middle and high school students is that the later start times will not apply in the 2024-2025 school year.

    ➤ School certificates: How did your school perform?

    For drivers, this means spending more time on the road with school buses and having to watch out for children on their way to school or bus stops, especially in areas without sidewalks.

    And for parents, this means there are only a few hours left to buy school supplies, especially since the back-to-school sales tax-free period ends on August 11.

    Florida School Calendar: When is the first day of school?

    The earliest school start date for the 2024-2025 school year is August 10, but this year it is a Saturday. Almost all schools in Florida start on August 12. The latest start date is in Miami-Dade County, where students start on August 15.

    Florida sales tax holiday helps save on school supplies

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    The 5 Best School Supplies to Buy at Walmart

    Here are the back-to-school essentials you can buy at Walmart

    Mike Roorda, review

    Florida’s 14-day back-to-school sales tax-free period began July 29 and runs through Sunday, August 11. Affected items include clothing, shoes and backpacks valued at $100 or less, school supplies valued at $50 or less, learning aids valued at $30 or less, and personal computers or computer accessories (including non-recreational software) valued at $1,500 or less.

    According to the Florida Department of Revenue, items purchased online are exempt from sales tax if the order is accepted by the business for immediate shipment during the sales tax-free period – even if the delivery does not occur until after the sales tax-free period.

    Here are the types of school supplies you can purchase tax-free through August 11:

    • Personal computers or personal computer accessories purchased for non-commercial home or personal use and with a retail price of $1,500 or less. Personal computers include:
      • calculator
      • Desktop
      • Electronic book readers
      • Handheld devices
      • Laptop
      • Tablets
      • Tower computer

    The term does not include mobile phones, video game consoles, digital media receivers or devices that are not primarily designed for data processing.

    • PC accessories include:
      • Keyboards
      • Mice
      • Modems
      • Monitors
      • Non-leisure software
      • Other peripherals
      • Personal digital assistants
      • Router
    • Items with a retail price of $100 or less per unit, including:
    • Clothing
      • All footwear, except skis, flippers, roller skates and ice skates
      • All articles of clothing intended to be worn on or around the human body, excluding watches, watch straps, jewellery, umbrellas and handkerchiefs
    • Purses or bags, including:
      • Backpacks
      • Diaper bags
      • Belt bags
      • Handbags

    Briefcases, suitcases and other clothing bags are excluded.

    • School supplies with a retail price of $50 or less per item, including:
      • binder
      • Cellophane tape
      • Circle
      • Writing pads
      • Computer disks
      • Construction paper
      • colored pencils
      • Erasers
      • Folder
      • Glue or stick
      • Notepads
      • Lunch boxes
      • Markings
      • Laptops
      • Notebook filler paper
      • Pencils
      • pencils
      • Billboard
      • Poster Paper
      • Protractor
      • Rulers
      • Scissors
      • Staplers and staples for fastening paper products
    • Learning aids and puzzles with a retail price of $30 or less, including:
      • Flashcards or other learning cards
      • Interactive or electronic books and toys for learning reading or math skills
      • Matching or other memory games
      • Puzzle books and hidden object books
      • Stacking or nesting blocks or sets

    Complete List of Florida Tax-Free School Year Benefits

    ➤ Can’t see the list? View the full list of tax-free items.

    Later start times for middle and high schools are coming… but not this year

    In May 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring later start times for middle and high schools across Florida.

    ➤ 9 things you should know about new school start times

    The law prohibits middle schools from starting the “classroom day” before 8 a.m., while high schools are prohibited from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m.

    The later start times will be required beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. The law gave school districts three years to develop plans to implement the start time changes.

    Interactive map: See school test results

    Track your school’s grades and performance over the years, and learn about student test scores and the ethnic and gender makeup of staff and students.

    Test Schedule for FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking)

    The Florida Department of Education schedules testing periods for school districts to complete the FAST exams.

    The timetable for the 2024-2025 school year is as follows:

    • August 5 – September 27: Grades K–2 FAST English Language Arts (ELA) Reading & Math
    • August 12 – September 27: Grades 3–10 FAST ELA Reading; Grades 3–8 FAST Mathematics
    • Sept. 9 – Oct. 4: End of term exams (EOC) for Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1, Civics, U.S. History
    • Dec. 2–Jan. 24: Grades K–2 FAST Reading & Math; Grades 3–10 FAST ELA Reading; Grades 3–8 FAST Math
    • Dec. 2-20: EOC assessments for Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1, Civics, U.S. History
    • March 31 – April 11: Writing for grades 4–10
    • April 14 – May 30: Grades K–2 FAST Reading & Math
    • May 1-30: FAST ELA Reading, grades 3-10; FAST Math, grades 3-8; Science, grades 5 and 8; EOC assessments for Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1, Civics, U.S. History

    Florida School Safety: How do schools ensure the safety of students and staff?

    Florida state law and regulations require public schools and charter schools to comply with the following:

    Section 1006.12, FS, requires one or more Safe School Officers at each school facility in the district.

    Compliance with Rule 6A-1.0018, FAC includes:

    • Each school building is assigned a trained and armed security officer.
    • Implementation of a mobile panic alarm system.
    • Each school and school district has its own threat management team.
    • Each district has a designated, trained school safety specialist.
    • Active attacker and family reunification plans adopted by the school board.
    • Regular emergency drills at all schools.
    • Annual risk assessments of schools and districts.
    • Reporting of security incident data.

    How can parents protect their children?

    The Red Cross offers the following safety checklist and safety tips:

    Children teach:

    • Their phone number, address, how to contact their parents at work, how to contact another trusted adult, and how to call 911.
    • You are not allowed to talk to strangers or accept a ride from strangers.

    If your child walks to school, teach him or her:

    • Walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk in the direction of travel.
    • Stop and look left, right and left again to see if any cars are coming.
    • Cross the street at the corner, obey traffic signals and stay on the crosswalk.
    • Never run into the street or walk between parked cars.

    If your child takes the bus to school, teach him or her:

    • Arrive at the bus stop on time and stay away from the curb while waiting for the bus.
    • Do not board the bus until it has come to a complete stop and the driver or attendant has instructed you to board. And only board the driver’s or attendant’s bus, never any other bus.
    • Keep an eye on the bus driver and never run behind the bus.

    If your child rides a bike to school, teach him or her:

    • Always wear a helmet.
    • Turn right in the same direction as traffic.
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    Madoc Meredith
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