Every state requires children within a specified age range to attend some form of structured schooling, which may be homeschooling or private school instead of public school.
Regardless of the state, children of a certain age are required to attend school or an acceptable educational alternative, such as homeschooling. State compulsory education laws differ, however, in the age range and exceptions to the rules. Arizona's compulsory education laws apply to children between the ages of six and 16. Home schooled children must receive an education that is equal to what they would otherwise receive in a public school.
One of the options to public or private education is homeschooling, an arrangement where one or both parents teach lessons that are comparable in both content and classroom hours. Parents that decide to remove their child from public school must submit a transfer form, which helps the school district keep accurate enrollment data. Parents may access school curricula but are not required to show proof that they are in compliance with state educational standards.
Local school boards in Arizona are not required to allow homeschooled students access to textbooks, sports, or other public school activities or resources. However, local school boards do have some discretion in these matters. But homeschooled students must have access to vocational programs as they as live in the corresponding district.
The basics of Arizona's compulsory education laws are listed in the following box. See FindLaw's Compulsory Education section for additional articles and resources, including Exemption and Court Cases on Compulsory Education.
| Code Section | 15-802 |
| Age at Which School Attendance is Required | Between 6 and 16 |
| Exceptions to Attendance Requirements | Child receives home instruction and takes a standardized achievement test; child attends a private school full time (at least 175 days per year); physical/mental condition makes attendance impractical; child has completed 10th grade; child is over 14 and employed at a lawful wage-earning occupation with consent of custodian/parent; child enrolled in vocational education; child enrolled in another state-provided education program; waiver may be granted for good cause; child was suspended |
| Home School Provisions | Instruction must be in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science by a person passing a reading, grammar, and mathematics proficiency exam; home schooled child must be allowed to participate in interscholastic athletics for school district in which he/she resides |
| Penalties on Parents for Noncompliance | Class 3 misdemeanor; petty offense for failure to provide attendant for home-schooled child |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact an Arizona education law attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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