Arizona Homeschooling Laws

Arizona Homeschool Requirements

Are you wondering what are the requirements for homeschooling in Arizona? The most notable regulations you should be aware of include:

• Children between 6 and 16 must attend school under Arizona’s compulsory education requirements (and homeschooling fulfills those requirements)
• Curriculum taught in the homeschool must include the subjects of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science
• You must file a notarized Arizona Homeschool Affidavit (which is explained further in the next section)

More information relating to the home education rules for Texas can be found at A2ZHomeschooling.com.
Full Details of Arizona’s Homeschool Laws

Submitting Your Arizona Homeschool Affidavit

The first step to legally homeschooling in Arizona is to file a notarized Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool with the county school superintendent. You must submit the affidavit within 30 days of starting to homeschool, or within 30 days following the child’s 6th birthday if you plan to start homeschooling prior to age 6.

Arizona allows parents to delay the start of formal education until your child is 8 years old by noting that decision on the affidavit. The notarized affidavit for each homeschool child should include:

• Name, date of birth, and current address of child(ren)
• Name, telephone, and address of parent or legal guardian
• Proof of birth for each child being homeschooled

The affidavit only needs to be submitted one time for the entire length of homeschooling. The only exception to this rule is if a homeschooling family moves from one Arizona county to another, they must file a new affidavit in the new county of residence.

Switching from Public School to Homeschool in Arizona

Has your child been enrolled in a public or private school prior to starting homeschooling? Although it’s not part of the legal homeschool requirements in Arizona, it is always a good idea to formally withdraw your child from school so that you don’t trigger any truancy inquiries.

To do so, you can send either a withdrawal email or letter to the principal, counselor, and attendance clerk of the school. Let them know that you are officially withdrawing your child from school and share the date in which your homeschooling will being (or began).

While homeschooling, children are still allowed to to participate in school-based interscholastic activities if they reside within the attendance area of a public school.

Homeschool Recordkeeping in Arizona

Since Arizona is a relaxed state for homeschoolers, you will be relieved to know that there aren’t any reports about your homeschool experience or curriculum that you are required to share – either locally or on a state level. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep a record of your homeschool experience at all. A homeschool portfolio can have many benefits for you and your student, including:

• Serving as a cherished keepsake of your time spent learning together
• Providing a reference of coursework covered in case of a return to public/private school
• Assisting parents when creating homeschool transcripts

Your portfolio can be as simple as a journal entry every so often to remind yourself what you and the children have been up to in your home education program. It can also be as detailed as a binder of lesson plans, and lists of book and materials used. When deciding what to include in yours, try to be as forward thinking as possible in terms of what information you think you might want to retrieve in the future.

Arizona Homeschool Graduation Requirements

Arizona has no specific requirements for homeschoolers regarding graduation.  You can set the criteria for when your teen is ready to graduate, create a high school transcript, and even issue your own homeschool diploma.

If your child is college-bound, it is crucial to create a transcript. Most colleges welcome homeschoolers, and accept homeschool diplomas, as long as the student’s application includes a detailed homeschool transcript.

Enrolling in Public School after Homeschooling

If you need to end your period of home education in Arizona for any reason, the first step is to notify the County School Superintendent within 30 days of termination of homeschool. It is recommended to do this step in writing. The public school to be attended may test your child to determine grade level placement.

Be aware that public high schools in Arizona do not usually accept homeschool credits towards an accredited diploma issued through the school. This means that if your student graduates from a public school after a period of homeschooling in high school, he/she will probably need to submit two different transcripts — a public school transcript and a homeschool transcript — with any college applications.

Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in Arizona

Have other questions about homeschooling in Arizona? You may find the following pages helpful.

• Homeschooling in Arizona
• Arizona Homeschool Associations
• Arizona Homeschooling Groups & Co-ops
• Homeschool Field Trips in Arizona
• Arizona Test Prep

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