Home School Information

DO NOT FILL OUT IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR OR HAVE AN ESA - EVEN FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLING You cannot have a homeschool or private school affidavit on file AND receive Empowerment Scholarship Account Funds (https://www.azed.gov/esa/). The ESA contract IS your affidavit.  If you are declined an ESA, THEN complete the homeschool affidavit.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2025/2026 ESA HANDBOOK

DO NOT FILL OUT IF YOUR CHILD IS 16 OR OLDER If your child is age 16 or older you DO NOT need to file a homeschool affidavit.  Arizona no longer tracks homeschooling status past age 16 as students can get their GED at age 16.  Affidavits are automatically withdrawn/archived once a student is age 16.

• One affidavit needs to be completed for EACH child being homeschooled or attending private school. 
• AN ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE MUST ACCOMPANY THE AFFIDAVIT.  If you are unable to provide a birth certificate, other reliable proof of the child's identity and age, including the child's baptismal certificate, an application for a social security number or original school registration records and an affidavit explaining the inability to provide a copy of the birth certificate.  (AZ 15-828)
• Forms and certificates can be brought into our office Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (closed federal holidays):

          75 N. Bailey Street

          Florence, AZ 85132

• Or mailed to:

          Pinal County School Office

          P.O. Box 769 

          Florence, AZ 85132

         ORIGINALS WILL BE MAILED BACK VIA CERTIFIED MAIL.

• The affidavit MUST BE NOTARIZED - Notary service can be provided; call ahead to guarantee it's available.
• Affidavits can be filed ANY TIME OF YEAR.
• Affidavits only need one legal guardian's signature and phone number.  
• If your mailing address is a P.O. Box you must also include your physical address.
• You only need to file an affidavit ONCE if you are homeschooling for multiple school years; a new filing is NOT REQUIRED every year.  New affidavit filing is only required when:

           1) Your child is discontinuing public school to homeschool.

           2) Your child discontinued homeschooling or private schooling, returned to a public school, and now is returning to                     

                homeschooling or private school.

           3) Your child is discontinuing public school to attend a private school.

           4) You left Pinal County and are now returning and will be homeschooling your child.

• If your child is 16 or older and granted an ESA, you DO NOT need to file a Withdrawal Form.  Affidavits are automatically withdrawn/archived once a student is age 16 per, they are legally old enough to get their GED.  Arizona no longer tracks homeschooling status past age 16.
• To withdraw your affidavit in the event your child is returning to public school, has been granted and ESA, or you are moving outside of Pinal County, you must complete the Homeschool Withdrawal Form and submit it to our office via email nobrien@pinalcso.org, mail P.O. Box 769 Florence, AZ 85132, or in person at 75 N. Bailey St. Florence.
• You will need to contact the school district directly to see if they require any forms or documentation on their end when you withdraw your child from ANY district.
• If you move within Pinal County or your contact information changes, you must complete the Change of Information Form and file it with our office.  You can mail it, email it to nobrien@pinalcso.org, or bring it by our office.  
• You will need to contact the school directly for enrollment or re-enrollment back into public school or private school.

Arizona Revised Statutes Pertaining to Homeschooling

AZ 15-802

AZ 15-802.01

Affidavit of Intent to Home School  - File with the Pinal County School Office if you are going to homeschool your child.

Affidavit of Intent to Attend Private School - File with Pinal County School Office if you are removing your child from public schooling and enrolling them into a private school (e.g. independent, parochial, religious and non-religious affiliated charter schools, boarding schools, Christian schools, preparatory prep schools, accredited private k-12, middle schools, and high schools).

Home School Change of Information Form - If you have an address change but are still within Pinal County and are still homeschooling.

Home School Withdrawal Form - Complete if you have been granted an ESA, are moving out of state, out of Pinal County, or are no longer homeschooling your child and are enrolling them into a school.

Home School Packet - AZ statutes and information on AZ homeschooling/contacts/resources.

Unable to Provide Birth Cert Affidavit - If you cannot locate your child's original birth certificate or any of the other acceptable legal documents as proof of existence, complete and notarize this form and submit it with the affidavit of intent to homeschool.

CLICK HERE FOR ESA INFORMATION

CLICK HERE FOR THE ESA HANDBOOK

Arizona Bill HB-2853 Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

Homeschoolers granted an Empowerment Scholarship Account need to complete the Homeschool Withdrawal Form to withdraw your filed affidavit.  Please check the box that says ‘ESA’ and FULLY COMPLETE THE FORM including your address and phone number. You can continue to homeschool your child, however, you are now under the contract of the ESA.  If your child is 16 or older and granted an ESA, you DO NOT need to file a Withdrawal Form.  Affidavits are automatically withdrawn/archived once a student is age 16 per, they are legally old enough to get their GED.  Arizona no longer tracks homeschooling status past age 16.
Email forms to nobrien@pinalcso.org, drop it off at 75 N. Bailey St. Florence, or mail it to P.O. Box 769 Florence, AZ 85132

A component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004)

Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), that requires Public Education Agencies to locate, identify and evaluate all children with disabilities aged birth through 21, located within their geographic boundaries who are in need of early intervention or special education services.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations require that all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability, are identified, located, and evaluated. [20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(3); 34 C.F.R. § 300.111(a)]

*Child Find applies to children who are:

• Suspected of having a disability even though they are advancing from grade to grade
• Highly mobile, such as migrant and homeless families
• Wards of the State
• Private school students
• Home school students

The regulations that implement the IDEA require each State to have policies and procedures to ensure that “all children with disabilities . . . including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located and evaluated.” [34 C.F.R. § 300.111(a)(i)] In Arizona, each public education agency must have written procedures for the identification and referral of all children with disabilities within its boundaries of responsibility, including children with disabilities attending private schools and those who are home schooled. [A.A.C. R7-2-401(D)(1)]

Your public school district of residence (the school district assigned for your household to attend based on where you live) provides services in compliance with the IDEA.  PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Arizona homeschool or private school students may be eligible for special education services provided by their school district for free.  The state considers homeschooled students as private schooled students for purposes of determining access to special education services.

Alternatively, parents of homeschooled children can apply for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), which allow parents to access 90% of the funding their district would have received for their child.  Parents who receive ESAs cannot access special education services from their local districts, but can have educational expenses for their child reimbursed from the ESA.  Families of students wishing to access special education services through their district should contact their local district.  Parents of students wishing to use the ESA option can find more information and apply at the Arizona Department of Education.