How do I enrol my children in a public school, and what is open enrollment?

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Register at the public school your address is zoned for, with proof of address, the child’s birth certificate or passport, immunisation records and any previous school records. Open enrollment is Arizona’s rule that any public school may accept children from outside its boundary if it has room, so you can also apply to schools in other neighbourhoods or districts, and to charter schools, which are public and free. School attendance is compulsory from six to sixteen, and children start kindergarten in the year they turn five by the start of September. Enrolment happens at the school or district office, in person or online, with a proof of residency such as a lease or utility bill, the child’s identity document, the immunisation record that Arizona law requires or a signed exemption, and transcripts from the previous school where you have them; the state education department describes parents’ rights and the enrolment framework. Children still learning English are placed in English-language-development instruction alongside regular classes. Arizona’s open enrollment law lets a family apply to any public school in the state, not just the zoned one, subject to capacity; districts set application windows, often in winter for the following year, and give priority to children inside their boundaries. The district sites explain their own process and timelines. Charter schools are public schools without boundaries that you apply to directly, with a lottery when oversubscribed. Use the state report cards to compare the zoned school with the alternatives you are considering before you apply, and remember that transport is only provided to zoned schools in most districts.

How do I enrol my children in a public school, and what is open enrollment?

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