If you live in the state of Arizona, you have more school choices for your children than any other state in the country. Most students in Arizona attend traditional public schools; in fact, approximately 897,000 K-12 students attend one of 2,000+ public school districts. Other students attend either charter schools, private schools, virtual schools, or homeschool.
With so many choices, it’s important that you know the facts about what each school setting offers so you can make the best choice for your children. As with most types of schools, myths about their instructional practices, funding, and access to resources subsist in Arizona’s communities. This is no less true for public district schools.
Let’s take a tour of Arizona’s fine public schools to clear the air of any misconceptions so you can make an informed schooling choice for your child. Common myths about public education are:
- All public schools are the same
- Public schools don’t offer quality education
- Public school classrooms are overcrowded
- Public schools are underfunded and lack resources
- Public schools don’t support individualized learning
Myth #1: All Public Schools are the Same
Public district schools in Arizona are as varied as the spices and herbs in your seasonings
cabinet. One variation is the grade each school receives from the Department of Education. Mandated by both federal and state laws, each school in the state is given a letter grade of A through F based upon the following criteria:
- Student academic growth from year to year
- Proficiency on statewide assessments
- English language proficiency and growth
- Preparedness for high school among elementary students
- Preparedness for post-secondary education among high schools.
You can find out such information as whether a school offers advanced placement courses, career technical education classes, particular sports, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) courses, or arts and music instruction, by consulting the Arizona Department of Education’s school report cards.
Public schools include traditional schools, magnet schools, and charter schools, each with its own structure, emphasis, and resources. For example, a magnet school is a public school that focuses on a special area of study such as performing arts, STEM, or career education. The entire school embraces this particular focus, and it’s used to attract students from across entire districts.
Charter schools, such as Leman Academy of Excellence, offer smaller teacher-to-student ratios, and a curriculum structured according to a particular pedagogy. Leman Academy utilizes the Classical Education method of teaching, which is an approach that teaches children to think independently, and focuses on nurturing the whole child.
Arizona has an Open Enrollment policy. This means you can send your child to any public
school in the state as long as the school has capacity. Schools will provide transportation up to 20 miles each way. The law of Arizona prohibits schools from charging tuition for transfer students.
Check out the website myschoolchoice.com; it has a tool called “Schools Near Me” where you can access information to more than 131,000 traditional public, magnet, charter, and private schools.
Myth #2: Arizona’s Public Schools Don’t Offer Quality Education
Public education in Arizona offers many high-quality, diversified programs and activities in its schools, as well as special programs for students with specialized needs.
One such type of school is called a “magnet school”, which is a public school that focuses on a specific area of study such as performing arts; Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); or career education. The entire school embraces this particular focus, and it’s used to attract students across districts.
Another example of a specialized type of school is the Arizona Autism Charter School (AZACS) which is the first charter network in the southwest U.S. that specializes in helping autistic students with their challenges.
Rated the #1 best public magnet school in AZ is Phoenix Union Bioscience High School. It was also rated the best STEM high school in AZ by Niche, 2025. It has 392 students in grades 9-12, and a student – teacher ratio of 18:1. With AP classes, programs for gifted students, it has a 95% graduation rate. Students here believe the teachers provide engaging lessons, and 95% believe their teachers genuinely care about them.
Some schools are alternative schools. Specializing in helping at-risk students in grades 6-12, they assist students who have dropped out of school and returned, students who are in poor academic standing and/or behind in grade-level achievement.
Extracurricular activities (ECA) are abound in Arizona’s public schools. At the elementary level students can be involved in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) engagement, community service, athletics, student leadership, and fine arts.
At the high school level, in addition to the activities listed above, students can enjoy clubs that focus on arts, debate, theater, foreign language, agriculture, character education, ecology, and many more interests.
Finally, public schools also offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses which are rigorous college-level courses offered for students to receive the highest level of success in their secondary education. You’ll find AP courses in subjects such as advanced sciences, mathematics, history, government and politics, economics, statistics, foreign language and culture studies.
Myth #3: Public Schools Have Overcrowded Classrooms
Overcrowding has affected several school districts; however, it is interesting to see what
solutions these schools have developed to deal with the problem.
Many schools have added temporary trailers to create more classroom space until the Arizona Schools Facility Board approves construction for new school buildings.
Other schools have reopened buildings that they have previously closed. Some are adding new wings onto their buildings for additional classrooms.
But the most innovative solution is found in Mesa Public Schools. They have created an
ingenious teaching model to offset the problems caused by classroom overcrowding. “Team Teaching” involves a group of 3-5 educators who work with 60-90 students. Teachers share responsibilities and collaborate to plan scheduling and management of the body of students under their care. Mesa Public Schools views this method as a way to completely revive the teaching profession.
Relief from the crowding of schools can also be found in charter schools with their lower
teacher-to-student ratios. Some examples are the Academy of Tucson, an Arizona charter school, with an established ratio of 1:14. Empower College Prep High School has a teacher-to-student ratio of 13:1, whereas Legacy Traditional School has a ratio of 16:1.
Myth #4: Public Schools are Underfunded and Lack Resources
Funding for public schools is the largest part of the State of Arizona’s budget. Public schools receive their funding from federal, state, and local taxes, and the funding is dependent upon the number of students enrolled in the district. There are a few differences, however, in the way traditional schools and charter schools acquire their funds.
First, charter schools do not receive funds from local property taxes, nor can they levy a tax to pay for capital expenses such as buildings, equipment, research and development.
Second, traditional schools usually receive more federal funding than charter schools because they serve more special-needs and low-income students. They also offer a national free and reduced lunch program. Arizona’s income-based funding programs have given millions to both traditional and charter schools for capital expenditures; hard capital includes building construction, and soft capital is used to purchase textbooks, buses, and computers.
Additionally, schools can receive donations given by residents of the state through Arizona’s tax credit program (ARS 43-1089.01). Taxpayers can donate up to $200 for a single, or $400 for a married couple to help fund extracurricular activities and receive that money back as a tax credit.
Another program called desegregation funding, was dispensed to 18 Arizona school districts in 2017 to encourage integration efforts. In the amount of $211 million, the state awarded money to school districts under desegregation court orders or agreements with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to implement integration within their school districts.
Despite the difference in government funding, all public schools receive additional funds from state and local grants and corporate sponsorships.
Myth #5: Public Schools Don’t Support Individualized Learning
If your child has special learning needs, you’ll find the support you need in the public schools. Whether your situation involves English as a second language, a gifted child, or a child with other exceptional needs, public schools will have the services available to scale your child’s abilities to their potential.
For instance, ESS is the Exceptional Student Services program which ensures that schools comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). ESS also provides assistance for professional development, technical assistance, and family support. IDEA ensures that all students, regardless of their disability, have equal access to academic programs and post-school activities.
For students whose home language is not English, Arizona supports them with English Language Learner (ELL) programs. The Arizona Department of Education provides technical support and monitors compliance of these programs. Using a home evaluation language survey and an English proficiency test to evaluate their knowledge of English, students are placed in a specific Structured English Immersion (SEI) model. The models require students to receive four hours of English language development per day in a classroom setting with other ELL students.
Arizona is home to many gifted children as well. ARS §15-779 defines a gifted student as one who is of school age and has a superior intellect but is not given the opportunity to progress in a regular classroom, and needs gifted education services. Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Consolidated Grant helps school districts fund appropriate access to Advanced Placement programs, International Baccalaureate programs, and early college high school credit for advanced learners.
If you have a gifted child, you can explore the many resources offered here.
A child with special needs in school is evaluated for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Produced by a collaborative team of parents, teachers, special education professionals, and school leaders, The IEP specifies what type of services the student will receive and the setting where they will be obtained.
Rest assured that Arizona’s K-12 students’ education is met with the appropriate public school support to set them on the path to success in school and in life.
In Conclusion: Explore All Your School Choice Options
Consider how fortunate you are to live in a state with such numerous school options! Making the decision for the right school to match your child’s learning abilities isn’t easy, but after you explore the benefits in every type of school choice, you will most likely find just the right place for your child.
Look into traditional schools, private schools, virtual learning, and homeschooling. And don’t forget to explore the fine charter schools of Arizona. The Leman Academy of Excellence has schools in both Arizona and Colorado for grades K-8, as well as the Leman Virtual Academy which your child can access from home.
Contact the Leman Academy of Excellence to learn more about how they can support students’ success and build lifelong learners.