IEP and 504 Transfer to Arizona Schools (Parent Guide)

An IEP moves with your child. When a student with an Individualized Education Program enrolls in an Arizona public school, federal law requires the school to provide services comparable to the existing IEP from the start, while it decides whether to adopt that plan or evaluate and write a new one. A 504 plan has no equivalent transfer rule, so the practical move is to bring it and ask for a meeting in the first week.

What federal law requires on transfer

The rule is 34 CFR 300.323, part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations.

From another state. The new school, "in consultation with the parents," must provide a free appropriate public education "including services comparable to those described in the child's IEP from the previous public agency" until it conducts an evaluation, if it decides one is necessary, and develops, adopts and implements a new IEP, if appropriate.

From another Arizona district or charter within the same school year. The same comparable-services duty applies until the new school either adopts the previous IEP or writes a new one. An in-state transfer does not require a new evaluation.

Records. The new school "must take reasonable steps to promptly obtain the child's records, including the IEP and supporting documents," and the old school must take reasonable steps to respond promptly.

"Comparable" is the word that matters. The new school does not have to copy the old IEP line by line, and it may deliver services differently, but it cannot leave your child without services while it works out its own plan.

Arizona's timelines

Arizona's special education rules are in the State Board's R7-2-401. For a new evaluation, the district has 60 calendar days from your written consent, extendable by 30 days with your written agreement. For transfer students, the rule tells the district to review the student's performance at the prior school and says it "may accept current information about the student from another state." So a recent evaluation from your old district can stand in for a new one, which shortens the process; ask the new school to say in writing whether it will accept the existing evaluation.

Arizona calls the district or charter a "public education agency" (PEA) in its rules. If you see PEA on a form, it means the school.

What to bring

The current IEP, signed.
The most recent evaluation report, including any psychological or educational testing. One district's checklist asks for "IEP and psychological report" together; the evaluation is what lets a new team adopt the plan without starting over.
Progress reports or the last report card.
Any related-service records (speech, occupational therapy, behaviour plans).
For a 504 plan, the plan itself and the medical or evaluation documents behind it.

Keep your own copies. The old school must send the official file, but the mail takes time, and the first week's services should not wait on it.

What to do in the first week

At enrollment, say the child has an IEP and hand over the copy. Ask who the special education contact is for the school.
Ask for a meeting within the first two weeks to decide whether the school will adopt the IEP or write a new one, and what comparable services look like in the meantime.
Ask whether the school will accept the existing evaluation under R7-2-401 or start a new one, and get the answer in writing.
If the school says the services cannot start until the file arrives, point to 34 CFR 300.323 and ask for the district special education director.

504 plans

A Section 504 plan comes from the Rehabilitation Act, a civil-rights law, not from IDEA. The Arizona Department of Education says plainly that "Section 504 regulations are under the jurisdiction of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)"; ADE does not investigate 504 complaints and no Arizona rule governs how a 504 plan transfers. Most schools honour a 504 plan from elsewhere while they meet to write their own, but the obligation to evaluate and accommodate comes from federal law and is enforced by OCR, not the state. Bring the plan and the documentation, ask for a 504 meeting in the first week, and ask who the school's 504 coordinator is.

Charter schools, private schools and online schools

Charter schools are public schools and carry the same IDEA obligations as districts, including comparable services on transfer. They cannot deny admission because of a disability, though they can be full. Charter complaints about enrollment go to the State Board for Charter Schools rather than ADE.

Private schools are not required to implement an IEP. Many offer learning support, and some specialise in it, but what they provide is a contract between you and the school. Ask to see the support in writing before you enroll. A child in a private school may still be evaluated by the district where the school sits, and some services may be available through the district, but a private placement is a different legal footing from a public one.

Online public schools (district and charter online programs) are public schools and must serve students with IEPs, though delivery of some related services online is a real question to ask.

The ESA program and disability

Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account pays more for a student with a documented disability. On the 2025-26 ADE funding chart, the current chart as of October 2026, awards for disability categories run from $7,247 up to $47,725 a year, compared with $7,105 to $10,540 for a grade 1-12 student with no disability; a student with a 504 plan is listed at $7,105 to $9,916. The ESA handbook allows therapies, aides, evaluations and assistive technology for students with a disability. Two cautions: a student on an ESA may not also be enrolled in a public school, so taking the ESA means giving up the public school's IEP obligations; and the 2026-27 chart had not been published as of 11 October 2026. The ESA page has the details and the application steps.

Who to call

ADE's Exceptional Student Services parent page lists ESSInbox@azed.gov and (602) 542-4013 for questions and for parent-rights information, including the state's dispute options. For a 504 question, the school's 504 coordinator and, if needed, the federal Office for Civil Rights are the right contacts.

Sources and where to verify

Frequently asked questions

Does my child's IEP from another state transfer to Arizona?

The services do. The new school must provide comparable services while it decides whether to evaluate and must write or adopt an IEP; it must also request the records promptly. Bring your copy to enrollment.

Will Arizona re-evaluate my child?

Maybe. The school may decide an evaluation is necessary, and Arizona gives it 60 calendar days from your consent, extendable by 30 with your agreement. The rule also lets the school accept current information from another state, so a recent evaluation can avoid a new one.

Can services wait until the records arrive?

No. The comparable-services duty starts when the child enrolls, not when the file arrives. Hand over your copy of the IEP and ask for the district special education director if anyone says otherwise.

Does a 504 plan transfer?

There is no Arizona rule saying so, and ADE does not handle 504 complaints; the federal Office for Civil Rights does. Most schools honour a plan while they write their own. Bring the plan and the documents behind it and ask for a meeting in the first week.

Do charter schools have to take a child with an IEP?

Yes. Charter schools are public schools under IDEA and must serve enrolled students with disabilities. They can be full, but a disability cannot be the reason for refusal.

Can we use an ESA for a private school and keep the IEP?

Not in the sense of keeping the public school's obligations. An ESA requires withdrawing from public school, so the IEP's legal force ends; the ESA then pays for private tuition and services, at higher amounts for a documented disability. The private school's support is whatever it agrees to in writing.

Who do I call if the school is not following the IEP?

Start with the school's special education contact, then the district special education director. ADE Exceptional Student Services (ESSInbox@azed.gov, (602) 542-4013) explains the state's complaint and dispute options.

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