As parents and grandparents of school age children, we understand the importance of finding the right school for your child.  oftentimes, the school is what drives the decision on where to live.  What is wonderful about the state of Arizona is the many options for schooling that are available.  School Choice means you get to choose where to send your child to school - here are your basic options:

PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Pima County has 241 public schools in 14 different school districts.  Click here for a map.  While some districts are better than others, every district has high performing schools and some have 'Magnet' schools which are schools that have a particular focus, perhaps arts or college prep.  

• In Tucson, you don't have to attend the public school closest to your home or even in your district (though you will not be able to use the school bus!) If a particular school has served everyone in its district boundaries and there is still classroom space they will open up enrollment to students living outside the district area - this is called 'Open Enrollment'.
• In Arizona, all public and charter Schools are Ranked A+ down to F.  For a list of the most current school rankings by district, click here. For a list of School Districts, click here.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Arizona pioneered Charter Schools and there an additional 114 of them in Pima County.  Charter schools are tuition-free and funded by the State and are subject to the same regulations and standardized testing as public schools.

• Charter schools began as a way to give at-risk youth alternatives to help them graduate with a high school degree.  Many had flexible hours and online options.  
• Charter schools have become much more than that today!  While there are still a good number of charter schools that exist to help kids graduate who are not thriving in a public school environment, many are now highly academically focused. Some are classical, some are focused on science and tech while others specialize more on fine arts.  Some of our local charter schools are nationally ranked!  Click here for a searchable database of charter schools.

PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS

There are 65 private schools in Pima County and in Arizona, private schools are not only for the rich.  

• Arizona has a tax credit program that allows Arizona residents to donate the money they would pay in state taxes to a tax credit organization and to recommend a child to receive those funds for their tuition.  When the donor files their taxes, they are credited the amount they donated against their state tax liability.  Click here for more information on this program.
• Private schools are not bound by law to follow state guidelines for curriculum and testing and many offer higher standards than what is required by the state.  Private schools also offer parents a choice to send their child to a school that has a similar belief system and allows religion in the classroom.  However, not all private schools are religious! Some are Montessori, some are simple college prep.  Click here for a list of private schools in Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana and Vail.