Arizona homeschool laws are relatively easy and make it possible for a parent to set up a homeschool for their children without much interference from the state. It wasn’t always a walk in the park, however. In 1982, Arizona passed a law that required parents seeking to homeschool pass a state exam and have their students submit standardized test results. In 1993, Arizona removed the parental exam portion and made it to where parents simply had to have a high school degree (or GED). However, that mandate was eventually removed as well. Also, in 1995, homeschool student standardized testing requirements were abolished. You can refer to Arizona state’s 15-802 for exact details on the law.

For more information on homeschooling in general, view our how to homeschool guide. Below is more detailed information on Arizona homeschool laws.

Arizona Homeschool Laws – Homeschool Statute

In Arizona, parents are required to submit a one-time notification to their child’s school district that they will be removing their child from school. Parents are not required to be certified in teaching. The state does not mandate any hours of operation for the homeschool. There are no bookkeeping requirements.

Although private schools and homeschools in Arizona are different, the state considers a homeschool and a private school to be one in the same.

The parent must educate in math, reading, grammar, science and social studies as core classes.

In Arizona, a homeschool is defined as any school or education program ran outside of the public school environment. The Arizona homeschool must be run by at least a guardian of the child, or the parents.

Notification (this is important): A parent wishing to remove their child from public school in Arizona must file an affidavit of intent within a 30 day period with their school superintendent that clarifies they will homeschool their child. Likewise, a parent or guardian must file a similar affidavit of intent within 30 days or stopping homeschool with their superintendent.

Affidavit essential information:

• Name of child
• Birthday of child
• All information, phone numbers and addresses, of legal guardians and parents of child
• The address of the child’s current school
• Copy of child’s birth certificate

If a parent fails to submit the affidavit, Arizona Homeschool law list it as a petty offense. There is no such thing as child neglect in Arizona regarding not providing education to a child, however, it is a class 3 misdemeanor to not provide some form of homeschool education following a child’s removal from the school system.

The state of Arizona does not require any testing for homeschool children.

Parents aren’t required to have teaching qualifications.

Other Options

Take “Part-Time” Classes

Arizona homeschool laws do not have any rule over whether or not a student can be a part-time student in a public school. The state leaves this matter up to individual school districts. This translates to the option of possibly allowing a child to only take specific offered core classes at a school and homeschool classes for the remainder. This is something the school district has full discretion to approve.

Arizona Homeschool Laws Allow For Children To Participate In Extracurriculars

Homeschool children are allowed to try out for extracurricular, or interscholastic activities, of the school in the district they live in. This is a huge benefit for many homeschool parents who fear that their child may “miss out” on communal and team-oriented activities.

Special Needs

Homeschool children are able to be tested for special needs purposes and are permitted special needs access to services which are listed in their school district’s school. This is a huge help to parents who may not be able to provide all the services needed for their child through their homeschool environment.

Arizona Homeschool Vaccine Laws

Only students in a “public, private, or parochial school” are required to meet state vaccine requirments. Arizona homeschool laws do not require vaccination of students.

Conclusion

Arizona makes the process of withdrawing your child from public school to be somewhat easy. Arizona homeschool laws, found here, also allow homeschool kids to reap a number of benefits from the public school system.

photo credit: By TUBS

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