Last verified: October 2026
Can a Pinellas family still apply for PEP for 2026-27?
For most families, no: Step Up's regular 2026-27 PEP window ran February 1 to April 30, 2026, and new applications are closed.
Step Up's deadline page does list a narrow late window through April 15, 2027 for some PEP and Private School applicants, with no funding guarantee. Everyone else should prepare for the 2027-28 cycle.
How is PEP different from homeschooling on your own?
A PEP student follows a learning plan, takes an annual norm-referenced test and is funded by the state; an independent home-education student does neither and receives no money.
The two can't overlap. A family registered with the Pinellas district as home education has to leave that status to take PEP, and the PEP plan for each year is due by May 31.
Which Pinellas schools take PEP students?
12 Pinellas schools carry the state's PEP participant flag as of October 28, 2026, from small coaching programs in Clearwater to multi-grade hybrids in Largo, Pinellas Park and Tarpon Springs.
Part-week tuition at one of these schools is paid from the PEP account, and whatever the hybrid doesn't use stays available for curriculum and tutoring.
PEP compared with registered home education in Pinellas
| Feature | PEP | Home education program |
|---|---|---|
| State money | Yes, at the Pinellas award | None |
| Learning plan | Required each year | Portfolio and annual evaluation |
| Annual test | Norm-referenced test | One of several evaluation options |
| Computers | Not covered | Paid by the family |