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Frequently Asked Questions

No. We are a full-time home education program — think of it like a professional homeschool group.

All learners who attend our program are homeschoolers who attend Monday-Friday from 8:30-2:30. For more information, see our calendar and Day in the Life page.

Yes. We are an approved provider for the Personalized Education Program (PEP) Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA). We do not accept the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO).

At this time, we are only serving children ages 5 to 10, roughly kindergarten to fifth grade.

As our current learners in the Elementary Studio get older, we will open up a Middle School Studio and “Launchpad,” our version of a high school studio. The Middle School Studio is tentatively scheduled to open in August 2026.

Yes. We work to accommodate all families who are the right fit.

We are located at Nativity Episcopal Church on Del Rio Blvd. We are not a religious institution.

To learn more about our mission, vision, and beliefs, click here.

To learn about our method, click here.

One important note: We don’t have teachers, we have Guides. Learn more about our model here.

Our current ratio is low at about 10 learners to 1 guide. However, Acton has the opposite goal of most private schools and education alternatives: we want a high child-to-adult ratio. Our goal is to have 30 learners for every 1 adult, because our goal is to minimize the influence of adults on the studio so that we are truly learner-driven.

We look at a child’s whole development, using the rubric found here.

Learners progress through the studios by completing Badges in things like math, reading, writing, and even character development. To learn more about Badges and Studios, click here.

We are adamantly “anti-testing” — we do not believe that testing accurately measures a person’s ability to learn, do, or be. Unlike traditional schooling, we do not waste time and resources preparing for meaningless standardized tests.

The only tests our learners take are those that are required if they have a Step Up Scholarship. We do not waste any time in-studio preparing for these tests and place no importance on them. We leave it up to parents if they want to share the scores with their children.

All of our learners are homeschoolers. As such, they follow the standard process for Florida homeschoolers if they decide to transfer to a traditional school.

See No. 35 in this list of frequently asked questions from the Florida Department of Education for more information.

When we launch our Middle School Studio and Launchpad (our version of a high school studio), the primary focus will be on apprenticeships. Learners will reach out to local business leaders and ask them to be mentors.

The tentative launch date for the Middle School Studio is August 2026. The tentative date for Launchpad is August 2029.

We are not set up to provide special accommodations for children with special needs. Many Actons, including our own, have children with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and similar disabilities.

We evaluate on a case-by-case basis if we believe Acton is the right fit for each family.

We do not use IEPs.

During the hours that learners are in the studio, we limit the number of adults who can be in there so as to allow the learners to own their space and be completely independent. As such, we do not work with RBTs.

Acton incorporates many Montessori materials and principles — such as mixed-age groups, freedom within limits, large blocks of uninterrupted work time, learning through “discovery,” and freedom of movement — and combines them with the best 21st-century learning tools, real-world projects, and the Socratic method, which emphasizes asking and answering questions to cultivate critical thinking.

No. Though we are based inside of a church, we are a separate legal entity and do not have any religious affiliation. We have a diverse group of families enrolled ranging from Christians to Atheists.

What matters to us is that you have our shared values like curiosity, independence, growth mindset, and grit.

Yes. Children typically spend about 1 hour a day on technology. Older children may spend up to 2 hours.

We have a strict Technology Contract that each learner signs in order to have the privilege of using technology. We also have a no personal electronics policy. Any learner with a personal electronic device like a cell phone will put it in a bin when they come on campus and may receive it at the end of the day.

For a look at the day-to-day in Acton, see our Day in the Life page.

For our academic calendar, click here.

No. Acton Academy Port St. Lucie is an independent affiliate of the Acton Academy network. Acton affiliates share a mission, set of beliefs, and promises to families. But each Acton is different. Some have specific niches like tech, nature, or the arts. Individual affiliates adapt Acton’s model for the unique communities they serve. The Acton network supports affiliates with curriculum materials, learning tools, custom software, best practices, and more. 

You can learn more about the Acton Academy network by clicking here.

Acton is a place of growth for all parties involved — the learners, the guides, the owners, and you, the parents.

We expect the same thing from parents that we expect and foster in our learners. Be curious, be proactive. Embrace a growth mindset. Parents must be able to trust their child to grow, fail, and take ownership of their own educational journey.

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