Choosing a school? Youāve got options.
If you live in Arizona, you have access to more K-12 education options than you might realize. Navigating these education choice options can help you find a school where your child thrives, but it can also feel overwhelming. This guide will breakdown the main types of school choice in Arizona, as well as provide additional education resources.
Arizona families can choose fromĀ traditional public schools,Ā public charter schools,Ā public magnet schools,Ā private schools,Ā online learning,Ā homeschooling, andĀ microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
One of the many factors that families consider when choosing a school is transportation. In Arizona, transportation is available for students who attend their assigned public school, transfer to another public school and meet eligibility criteria, or have transportation services in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation may be available for other types of schools – you can find more information in our transportation guide.
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Arizona Traditional Public Schools
Most children in Arizona (68.1%) attend traditional public schools. Traditional public schools are free to attend, open to all students, operated by schoolĀ districts, and funded by taxpayers like you. Arizona spends an average ofĀ $11,297 per public school pupil each year.
Arizona has unrestricted open enrollment for public school. What this means is that you can send your child to any public school in Arizona, regardless of where you live or where the school is located,Ā as long as the school has capacity. Each districtās open enrollment policies must be available in English and Spanish, and must include transportation provisions. TheseĀ include transportation up to about 20 miles each wayĀ for students with a disability or IEP, and can include other students, too. For example, you can read about the open enrollment process in theĀ Scottsdale Unified School District.
Open enrollment is a popular option in Arizona, with more than 118,000 students participating during the 2022-2024 school year.
Arizona has aĀ law prohibiting public schools from charging tuition for transfer students, so this option is always free.Ā You can take advantage of open enrollment by visiting multiple public schools near you and discovering which is the best fit for your family. Traditional public schools may differ in learning methods and one may just āfeel differentā than another to you.
For example,Ā one traditional public school in Arizona we talked to, Coyote Springs Elementary School, has a unique focus on āauthenticity in learning.ā Pamela Clark, the schoolās instructional specialist, shared one of the schoolās cool practices for the beginning of the school year. Itās called ātwo for ten.ā She said, āWe want everyone on campus to spend ten minutes with a child for a couple of weeks just getting to know them, talking about things other than school, and every person on campus participates, including teachers, custodians, the cafeteria staff.ā
Find out more about public schools and Arizona School Choice at theĀ Arizona Department of EducationĀ andĀ Office of the Governor.Ā You can also learn more about Arizona open enrollment in thisĀ 50-state report.
Arizona Charter Schools
Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that have extra freedom to innovate with curriculum and learning methods. Arizona has more than 500 charter schools that parents can choose from.Ā In fact, at leastĀ 84%Ā of Arizona students have access to at least one charter in their area.
Each school has a charter which explains the schoolās purpose and what specific community need it serves.Ā For example,Ā Arizona Autism Charter SchoolĀ focuses on the educational needs of children with autism, while others may focus on language immersion or mathematics.Ā If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, a lottery system is usually used to determine admittance.
For more information on charter schools in your state, check out theĀ Arizona Charter Schools Association. Families in the metro-Phoenix area may also be interested inĀ Raising Arizona Kidsā annual guideĀ to all nearby charters.
While some individual charter schools in Arizona provide transportation to students, the state does not require them to provide transportation for any students. However, students with special needs who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are eligible to receive transportation assistance.
We recently interviewed one of Arizonaās very first charter schools,Ā Benjamin Franklin Charter School. When we asked the charter schoolās Director of Education, Diana Dana, what makes her school unique, hereās what she shared: āBecause we are not restricted by boundaries, we are able to welcome any family that is looking for something more than what their neighborhood school offers in a caring, wholesome environment. Many parents choose to be a part of something special with us because we provide an āAā rated education and family-friendly amenities such as affordable before- and after- school childcare and free school supplies. We take pride in removing barriers to an excellent, tuition-free education.ā
Arizona Magnet Schools
You can also choose magnet schools. These free public schools allow kids to narrow in on a specific learning track, such as health sciences or the performing arts. At a magnet school, all subjects are taught through the lenses of that specific track. These might be a good option if your kid learns best by focusing in on a subject he or she is passionate about!
There are many magnet school options in Arizona. For instance, the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona currently listsĀ twelve magnet schools.Ā These include schools that focus on communication arts, dual language, Montessori, and gifted study.Ā Meanwhile, in Goodyear,Ā Centerra Mirage STEM AcademyĀ is a magnet school focusing on hands-onĀ STEMĀ learning and enrichment.Ā And,Ā Gallego Primary K-3 Fine Arts Magnet SchoolĀ in the Sunnyside Unified School District focuses on art and creativity.
Arizona Private Schools
You probably know that private schools are nonpublic schools that charge tuition. But did you know that,Ā since 2018,Ā the federal government has allowed parents to save for K-12 private school tuition using tax-preferred 529 savings accounts?
There are more thanĀ 510Ā private schools across the state of Arizona.Ā These private schools come in all shapes and forms, from religious schools to schools designed for children with special needs.Ā Arizonaās Gateway Academy,Ā for example, a private school located in Scottsdale, is providingĀ an inspiring education for students with autism spectrum disorders.
Education Funding Opportunities:
The average tuition for private schools in Arizona isĀ $11,376Ā for elementary schools andĀ $15,473Ā for high schools.
There are currently five state-run scholarship programs that can help families afford private school tuition: four are tax-credit scholarships and the fifth is an education savings account.
Students may receive more than one tax-credit scholarship award or receive awards from multiple tax-credit scholarship programs (if eligible), but they may not participate in the education savings account program and receive a tax-credit award.
Tax Credit Scholarships:
Enacted in 1997 as one of the nationās very first tax-credit scholarship programs, Arizonaās Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship program allows all K-12 students interested in choosing private school to apply for aid.
In 2012, Arizona launched another individual income tax-credit scholarship program for students choosing private school: the āSwitcherā Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
The Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program provides private school scholarships to low-income students.Ā
āLexieās Lawā provides tax-credit scholarships to students with special needs.
Education Savings Account:
Finally, Arizona has an Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program that was adapted in 2022 to expand eligibility to all Arizona students. Participating families can receive scholarships of about $7,000 or more for qualifying educational expenses, including private school tuition, online education, tutoring, transportation, and education therapy. As of 2024, 10% of Arizona students are participating in this popular program.
Learn more about Arizona School Choice atĀ Choose A School Arizona,Ā Love Your School,Ā Phoenix Catholic Schools,Ā Arizona School Choice Trust,Ā Arizona Private Education Scholarship Fund, Inc.,Ā andĀ Private School Review: Arizona.
Arizona Online Learning
Whether your child wants to accelerate learning or needs a quieter environment, you may be interested in trying virtual school.Ā Arizona students can choose from many free, full-time online charter schools, including the stateās single largest online program,Ā Primavera Online School.Ā Other options includeĀ Arizona Virtual Academy,Ā Ā Arizona Connections Academy,Ā Astravo Online Academy,Ā Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning, andĀ ASU Prep Digital. High schoolers can also considerĀ Khan World School,Ā a creative partnership between ASU Prep Digital and Khan Academy. Students in high school can also considerĀ Insight Academy of ArizonaĀ orĀ Hope High School Online, both of which specialize in helping struggling students succeed. Students in grades K-10 can also consider Leman Virtual AcademyĀ orĀ Great Hearts Online, both of which have classical learning focuses.
In order for funding to transfer to one of these schools, families switching to an online school may need to initiate withdrawal from their previous school. You can learn more about the online school community in your state atĀ AZ Parents for Education.
Besides online charter schools, there are more than 100 districts in Arizona currently authorized to offer part-time or full-time online learning! These include the Mesa Distance Learning Program,Ā Chandler Online Academy,Ā Scottsdale Online Learning,Ā Deer Valleyās Aspire Online Academy,Ā Paradise Valley Online, andĀ Casa Grande Union High School District Online Academy.
To read more about online learning in Arizona, check out theĀ Digital Learning Collaborativeās state profile.
Arizona Homeschooling
Homeschooling is another school option in all 50 states. Homeschooling is the process of parents educating students at home and allows for highly customizable education.Ā 3.4% of all K-12 studentsĀ are homeschooled. If you homeschool in Arizona, your student might still be eligible to participate in sports or classes at your local public school!
Homeschooling Requirements:
If you choose to homeschool, you are required toĀ teach reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science, but specific standardized tests are not required. The state requires a one-time notice of your intent to homeschool within 30 days of beginning to homeschool in a county. It is also recommended that you formally withdraw from your previous school so that your student is not marked truant.
If you move to a new county during the school year, you must file a letter of termination, then submit a new notice of your intent to homeschool in the county you moved to. In the case that you want to switch back to public school, you must file a letter of termination.
Keep in mind that Arizona has a funding assistance program called theĀ Empowerment Scholarship Account programĀ that can help make homeschooling more affordable for families.
You can learn more about Arizona homeschooling atĀ Arizona Families for Home EducationĀ or theĀ Home School Legal Defense Association ā Arizona.
Arizona Microschools and Mix-and-Match Learning
Increasingly, Arizona families are mixing and matching school options to come up with new ways to personalize education. Microschools are one of these ways. A microschool refers to students gathering together in a small group ā with adult supervision ā to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms. What microschools share in common is a commitment to small-group learning, close-knit relationships, and emphasizing children as individual learners.
Arizonaās Empowerment Scholarship AccountĀ provides participating families with education funding that can be used flexibly for approved learning expenses, like private school tuition, home education, tutoring, and more.
Examples of the many microschools and nontraditional learning choices for families in Arizona:
- Prenda Microschools supports hundreds of microschools all over the United States, including Arizona, with the mission of empowering learners. Their microschools are approved expenses for families receiving funding through the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship.
- Endeavor AcademyĀ is a microschool situated in Mesa that follows an in-home approach to education.
- Baker Creek AcademyĀ is a small, collaborative, student-driven school in Eagar that prioritizes community.
- Based in Peoria,Ā Integrative Learning AcademyĀ takes a multi-grade collaborative approach to learning.
- Great Hearts OnlineĀ has piloted a microschool program where families can enroll in the classical online school but receive in-person learning support.
- Public online schools likeĀ ASU PrepĀ andĀ Sequoia ChoiceĀ have launched learning-pod-like models where students work on their online school curriculum in person together a few days a week.
- KaiPod LearningĀ offers learning pods for both homeschoolers and students enrolled in accredited virtual schools.
- Based in Phoenix,Ā Spark Community SchoolsĀ offers small classroom-style learning to grades K-8.
- The Black Mothers Forum has launchedĀ at least five microschoolsĀ in Arizona, specifically geared toward meeting the needs of minority communities and their families.
- AdamoĀ education combines in-person instruction in small microschooling environments with digital learning.
- PrimerĀ is a microschooling network with schools in Scottsdale and South Tempe.
- Kino SchoolĀ is an example of a small, innovative private school with mixed-age learning focused on student interests. While itās been around since the 1970s, it shares some of the characteristics of microschools today.
- iCubed LearningĀ provides personalized learning pods for homeschoolers, online students, and those enrolled in hybrid programs, offering one-on-one teaching experiences with certified educators.
- Trinity Arch Preparatory School for BoysĀ offers a tailored learning pod environment focusing on a liberal arts education and character development in a Christian, boys-only setting.
- Arizona State University offers aĀ year-long fellowshipĀ that families can apply for if theyāre interested in starting their own microschool.
Remember, microschooling is more a mentality than a specific legal distinction in most cases. Often, a family participates in a microschool while legally homeschooling, or being enrolled in a private or online school.
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