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How to homeschool in Arizona, and what microschools are

To homeschool in Arizona you file one notarized affidavit with your county school superintendent within 30 days of starting, along with proof of your child's identity and age. That is the whole legal process: the state requires no testing, no curriculum approval, no teacher qualification and no attendance reports. If you plan to use Empowerment Scholarship Account money, read the ESA section first, because an ESA student is not a homeschooler in Arizona law and the paperwork is different.

Arizona defines a homeschool as "a nonpublic school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian or other person who has custody of the child or nonpublic instruction provided in the child's home" (A.R.S. 15-802). To start:

  1. File an affidavit of intent with the school superintendent of the county you live in, within 30 days of beginning. It must be notarized and must give the child's name and birth date, the names, addresses and phone numbers of the people with custody, and the address of the school the child currently attends, if any.
  2. Provide proof of the child's identity and age to the county superintendent within the same 30 days (A.R.S. 15-828(B)): a certified birth certificate, or other reliable proof such as a baptismal certificate, an application for a Social Security number, or original school registration records with an affidavit explaining why the birth certificate is unavailable.
  3. Withdraw from the previous school so it does not count your child absent. Keep a copy of the withdrawal.
  4. Teach the required subjects: reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science. How, when and with what is up to you.
  5. Tell the county within 30 days if you stop homeschooling, for example because the child enrolls in a public school.

Failing to file is a petty offense. The affidavit covers the compulsory-attendance law, which applies from age 6 to 16; a parent who does not want to start a child younger than 8 by September 1 must still file an affidavit saying so.

How it works in Maricopa County (other counties are similar; check your county superintendent's site): file through the Homeschool Connect app, by mail, or in person at 4041 N. Central Ave., Suite 1100, Phoenix. Bring the birth certificate or other reliable proof. Notary service is free by appointment. The office asks you not to file if your child is enrolled in a public school, including a virtual charter school, or has received an ESA.

What the state does not require

The U.S. Department of Education's summary for Arizona says it plainly: no testing ("No state policy currently exists"), no teacher qualifications, no curriculum approval, no attendance reporting. The county superintendent keeps your affidavit and does nothing else. That freedom is the point for many families and the risk for some; the whole job, including the records a school or college will one day ask for, is yours.

Homeschool and the ESA: two different paths

Arizona's compulsory-attendance statute lists the lawful choices as public, private or charter school, or homeschool, "or" an Empowerment Scholarship Account contract. The ESA is its own category. A child funded by an ESA is a "qualified student" under the ESA statute, not a homeschooler, and the Maricopa County superintendent asks ESA families not to file the homeschool affidavit.

What that means in practice:

Homeschool (affidavit)Home education on an ESA
PaperworkOne affidavit to the countyESA application, contract renewed yearly, ClassWallet account, purchase records
MoneyNone from the state2025-26: $7,105 to $10,540 for grades 1-12 without a disability, $4,718 to $6,205 for kindergarten, more for a documented disability; paid quarterly
What it can pay forNot applicableCurricula and materials, accredited tutoring, nonpublic online programs, test fees, computers and similar, therapies for a documented disability, classes at a private school or microschool
OversightNoneADE reviews purchases against the Parent Handbook; misuse can end the contract
Public school enrollmentAllowed to switch any time; notify the county within 30 daysNot allowed while the contract is active, except paying for individual public-school classes

A family can homeschool without an ESA, or use an ESA for home education, but not file both. Apply for an ESA at the ADE portal; applications are processed within 30 days and a new account takes about three weeks to set up. Full details on ESA.

Microschools and learning pods

A microschool is a small group, typically five to ten students, taught by a paid adult (often called a guide), usually in a home, church or rented space, often four or five hours a day, four days a week. A learning pod is the informal version: a few families sharing a tutor or taking turns teaching. Both grew after Arizona's ESA became universal in 2022-23, because ESA funds can pay a microschool that is a qualified private school or an approved vendor.

What to know as of October 2026:

  • No Arizona law defines or inspects them. Microschools operate as private schools, as homeschool co-ops, or as vendors to ESA families. They "are private and are not tracked by the state." A 2026 bill, HB 2580, would have defined micro-schools and required building-safety compliance and background checks; it was read a second time in the House in January 2026 and died when the Legislature adjourned on June 13, 2026.
  • The largest operator is Prenda, based in Mesa, which has helped open more than 200 microschools. Prenda guides are independent business owners, not employees; families pay a platform fee of $219.90 a month plus the guide's own fee, or use an ESA. Prenda has also partnered with charter and online schools so that some of its students are formally enrolled in a public school; the Attorney General opened an investigation into one such arrangement.
  • Ask which legal category your child would be in. It determines everything: if the microschool is a private school, you file the private-school affidavit and may use ESA or STO funds; if it is a homeschool co-op, you file the homeschool affidavit and the responsibility stays with you; if your child is enrolled in a partner public school, your child is a public-school student and cannot hold an ESA.

Questions worth asking any microschool or pod: who teaches and with what qualifications; where the group meets and whether the space meets building and safety codes; whether background checks are done; what evidence of progress you will see; what happens if the operator closes mid-year; and whether your child leaves with a transcript a public school will read.

Returning to public school later

A homeschooled child can enroll in the resident district school at any time; the district must take a resident pupil. Notify the county within 30 days that homeschooling has ended. For grades K-8 the school places the child by age and whatever records you can show. For high school, the district decides which credits count; Arizona law gives private-school transfers a path to test out of denied courses, and most districts extend a similar placement process to homeschoolers, but ask for the policy in writing. Keep a portfolio, course descriptions and any outside test results from the start, since they are the only record a school will have. A student who was homeschooled is also among those eligible for "switcher" tax-credit scholarships if the family later chooses a private school.

Sources and where to verify

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Arizona?

No. Arizona sets no teacher qualification, curriculum approval, testing or attendance requirement for homeschools. You must teach reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science.

Where do I file the homeschool affidavit?

With the school superintendent of the county you live in, within 30 days of starting. The affidavit must be notarized; Maricopa County offers free notary service by appointment.

We just moved here and were homeschooling before. Do we have to file again?

Yes. The affidavit goes to the county superintendent where you now live, within 30 days of beginning instruction in Arizona, with proof of your child's identity and age.

Can I get ESA money and homeschool?

You can use an ESA to educate your child at home, but in law that child is an ESA "qualified student," not a homeschooler, and you should not file the homeschool affidavit. The ESA comes with a contract, purchase rules and a ban on public-school enrollment.

Is a microschool a private school?

Sometimes. Arizona has no legal definition, so a microschool may be a private school, a homeschool co-op, or a vendor to ESA families, and some enroll their students in a partner public school. Ask which, because it changes your paperwork and your funding options.

Can my homeschooled child join a public school sports team or take one class?

Policies vary by district; ask the school. An ESA student may pay tuition for individual public-school classes, though the school may decline.

What happens if we return to public school after a year at home?

The resident district must enroll your child. Placement in K-8 follows age and records; in high school the district decides which credits count and may offer placement exams, so keep course descriptions and work samples.

Last reviewed October 11, 2026. Figures change; the sources above are where to check.