Enrollment Requirements

Arizona Residency

Charter schools are required to obtain accurate and verifiable documentation of Arizona residency at initial enrollment and to maintain such information.[1] The Arizona Department of Education (“ADE”) has established guidelines setting forth documentation that may be accepted as verification of residency. ADE residency guidelines can be found at https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2021/11/FINAL_English_Revised%20ResidencyGuidelines_11.08.21.pdf.

Citizenship and Immigration Status  

Charter schools may not ask about a family or student’s citizenship, immigration, or refugee status.[3] Citizenship, immigration and refugee status are not relevant to establishing residency and may have the effect of discouraging enrollment.  A charter school may not bar a student from enrolling because he or she lacks a birth certificate or has records indicating a foreign place of birth, such as a foreign birth certificate.[4]

 Government-Issued Identification

Charter schools may not require students or parents to provide government-issued identification in order to enroll in or attend school.  A charter school may choose to include a parent’s state-issued identification or driver’s license among the documents used to establish residency. However, it may not require such documentation to establish residency or for any other reason.[5]

Homeless Children

Proof of residency is not required for homeless students and youth as defined in Arizona statute and identified under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Homeless students or youth shall be immediately enrolled even if the prospective student cannot produce documentation of residency normally required for enrollment; this mandate also applies to unaccompanied minors.[6]

Military Students

For members of the armed services, a charter school may enroll a student if the parent provides a hard-copy or electronic document of their transfer, or pending transfer, to a military installation within the state. The parent must provide official documentation of residency within ten days after the arrival date which may include a temporary on-base billeting facility as the address. [7]

Proof of Age and Identity

At the time of enrollment, charter schools are required to provide the parent/guardian with written notice that within 30 days they must submit one of the following documents:[8]

The charter school's documentation must clearly indicate that any of the above options are acceptable to meet this requirement. Documentation may not indicate or lead one to believe that a birth certificate is the only acceptable option.

Foster Children

A student in the custody of the Department of Child Safety (“DCS”) may provide “a letter from the authorized representative” to serve as proof of the student's age and identity.[2] Charter schools must carefully safeguard and maintain confidentiality regarding the status of children in DCS custody. 

Homeless Children  

Charter schools processing students identified as falling under the authority of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act shall immediately enroll the homeless child or youth. Enrollment should proceed even if the prospective student cannot produce records normally required for enrollment; this mandate also applies to unaccompanied minors.[11]

Military Student Identifier

All charter schools must include the Military Student Identifier (“MSI”) question on each student enrollment packet.  The Military Student Identifier (“MSI”) allows families to indicate that their student has at least one parent who is a member of the Armed Forces on active duty.  A school may not deny enrollment if a parent chooses to withhold such information and should clearly communicate that the information will not be used in making enrollment decisions.[12]

Kindergarten – Age Requirement

Any student who reaches five years of age before September 1st of the current school year is eligible to enroll in kindergarten. Exceptions to the age requirement may be made if the school’s governing board determines early admission to be in the best interest of the child. Such children must reach the required age of five for kindergarten by January 1 of the current school year.[13]

Individuals with Limited English Proficiency

Federal law requires all schools, including charter schools, to take affirmative steps to ensure that students with limited English proficiency can meaningfully participate in their educational programs and services.[14] This includes communicating with parents or guardians in a language they understand and providing interpreters and/or alternative language documents, as needed.

[1] A.R.S. § 15-802(B).

[2] A.R.S. §15-828.

[3] U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division and U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Fact Sheet: Information on the Rights of All Children to Enroll in School, May 2014.

[4] Id.

[5] Id.

[6]  McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, 42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.; A.R.S. §15-824(C).

[7] Arizona Department of Education, Arizona Residency Guidelines, May 21, 2019.

[8] A.R.S. § 15-802(B).

[9] Charter schools may request, but cannot require, a birth certificate as part of the enrollment process. Charter schools must allow other documentation as set forth in A.R.S. § 15-828(A).

[10] A.R.S. § 15-828(A).  

[11] McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C.§ 11 432(g)(3)(C)(i); A.R.S. § 15-824(C).

[12] Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114–95 § 114 Stat. 1177 (2015–16) Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii)).

[13] A.R.S. § 15-821(C).  

[14] Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C §§ 2000d et seq.; Equal Educational Opportunities Act, 2 Pub. L. No. 93-380, § 204(f), 88 Stat. 484, 515 (1974) (codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1703(f)).