Pursuant to Arizona law, every child between six and sixteen years old must attend school and be instructed in, at a minimum, mathematics, reading, grammar, science, and social studies. The parents/guardians who have custody of a child can choose a public, charter, or private school for their children, or they can homeschool them.
Options
State-funded public schools are a tuition-free option for your child. State-funded charter schools, an alternative to public schools that are also considered public schools under the law, are another tuition-free option. School districts manage public schools, while for-profit or non-profit private entities operate charter schools.
A third schooling option for children in Arizona is private school. Private schools charge tuition and, as the name suggests, are not public learning institutions.
Many Arizona families choose another education option for their child: homeschool. Arizona law defines a homeschool as “a nonpublic schoolconducted primarily by the parent, guardian or other person who has custody of the child or nonpublic instruction provided in the child’s home.” Parents/guardians who homeschool their children create their own curriculum. Currently, there are no certification requirements for parents/guardians to homeschool their child in Arizona.
Required Documents
Under Arizona law, within 30 days of a child starting private school or homeschool, the parent/legal guardian must file a notarized affidavit of intent with the State Superintendent’s Office stating that the child is attending private school or is being homeschooled. The parent/guardian must also bring a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate or other reliable proof of identify and age to the superintendent’s office. Failing to file an affidavit of intent to homeschool is considered a petty offense. If a parent/guardian later chooses to enroll their homeschooled child in public school, they must file a homeschool withdrawal form within 30 days of terminating the child’s homeschool instruction.
Testing and Other School Activities
Homeschooled children do not have to participate in standardized testing, but schools may give them placement tests if they return to public school to determine which grade level or classes are most appropriate for them. As for interscholastic activities, a homeschooled child can try out and participate in them at their local public school, but they cannot continue to participate in such activities for the remainder of the school year if they start homeschooling in the middle of the year.
Special Education Services for Homeschooled and Private School Students
Arizona law mandates that “[i]f federal monies are provided to a school district or a charter school for special education services to homeschooled or private schooled pupils, the school district or charter school shall provide the services to both the homeschooled pupils and the private schooled pupils in the same manner.”
High School Diplomas
A parent/guardian can prepare a diploma for their child if they homeschool them through high school, but in order for their child to obtain an accredited diploma, their child must attend an accredited online school or other accredited correspondence school.
Additional Choices
Within these school options, parents/guardians and their children have even more choices to make. Should the child go to school online? Should they sign up for dual enrollment? What about the college credit pathway for students sixteen years old or older? These are only some of the choices parents/guardians and their children may have to make as they continue their education in Arizona.
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Of course, not every schooling option is suitable for every child. But, if your child is between six and 16 years old, you must choose one, because it is a Class 3 misdemeanor to fail to homeschool or enroll your child in school during these years.
