A new educational option for families in Citrus County, Florida, is on the horizon with the launch of Coastal Minds, a homeschool program set to begin in the 2026-2027 school year. Founded by local elementary school teachers Lauren Thomas and Nikita Ward, the initiative aims to provide tailored learning experiences for students in grades two through five.
The idea for Coastal Minds emerged from the founders’ shared vision for educational reform. “We’re pretty opposite, professionally,” Thomas noted, referring to her collaboration with Ward. “I say she’s the yin to my yang. We just kind of fill each other’s gaps.” Their discussions often revolved around improvements they could implement in classroom education, leading to the decision to create a dedicated homeschool program.
Ward emphasized the importance of addressing the needs of families who withdraw their children from public schools only to return later, often at a disadvantage. “As educators, we know that if the parent doesn’t have the right tools and understanding, their child can end up going back to public school at a deficit,” she explained.
The motivation for establishing Coastal Minds also stems from Thomas’s personal experience. She expressed a long-standing desire to create a homeschool environment for her own son but faced financial barriers. Recent changes in state funding, particularly the Personalized Education Program (PEP), have made this vision more attainable. The PEP is a scholarship program offering education savings accounts to Florida students not enrolled full-time in public or private schools, averaging about $8,000 per year per child.
Coastal Minds will employ pre-designed curricula tailored to individual learning styles and needs. “We have a huge benefit of being able to supplement and pull from different curriculums that we’ve found have the best outcomes,” Ward stated. Thomas added that while they will customize learning experiences, adherence to state standards will remain a priority.
The founders aim to maintain small class sizes, allowing for significant one-on-one interaction. Thomas pointed out the challenges faced in traditional classrooms, where large numbers of students can hinder personalized attention. “When you have 25 kids, you don’t always have the time or resources to make sure each child understands a concept before moving on,” she said. “We don’t want any kid left behind.”
As Coastal Minds prepares for its opening, the founders are actively seeking a facility in central Citrus County and are now accepting applications for the upcoming school year. Their goal is to rekindle the joy of teaching and foster meaningful relationships with students. “You can get so jaded in this field,” Ward reflected. “We’re excited to get back to that and just have fun while learning.”
For further information about Coastal Minds, visit their website at coastalmindslearning.org, where updates and additional resources related to the PEP scholarship will also be available.
