JEB ©
ENTRANCE  AGE  REQUIREMENTS

Special  Preschool

A child evaluated and recommended for special services for a disability in accord with statute, and who has reached the third (3rd) birthday, may be admitted to preschool.  If otherwise eligible, the District may admit a child who is within ninety (90) days of reaching age three (3) years if it is determined to be in the best interest of the individual.  The Superintendent shall make such determination based upon one (1) or more consultations with parent(s), guardian(s), the child, and the multidisciplinary placement team.

Kindergarten  and  First  Grade

For admission to kindergarten, children must be five (5) years of age prior to September 1 of the current school year.  If a full-day kindergarten is provided, the parent of a student eligible for full-day kindergarten shall be offered the opportunity to choose either a half-day or a full-day kindergarten program.  The District shall provide an academically meaningful half-day kindergarten program in each District school where the half-day student enrollment is sufficient to fill a class with approximately the same number of students as the District-wide kindergarten classroom average.

If the school district or charter school offers more than two and one-half (2 1/2) hours of voluntary tuition-free kindergarten instruction during a school day to pupils who are under six (6) years of age, the instruction shall meet all of the following requirements:

A.  Meet or exceed the academic standards for kindergarten instruction prescribed by the State Board of Education and incorporate play as an instructional strategy.

B.  Be academically meaningful.

C.  Provide active learning enrichment.  

A parent of a kindergarten pupil may choose either half (1/2)-day kindergarten instruction or full-day kindergarten instruction pursuant to A.R.S. 15-703.

Children may be admitted to first grade who are six (6) years of age or shall be deemed six (6) years of age if they reach such age prior to September 1 of the current school year.

The Board may admit children who have not reached the required age as prescribed above if it is determined to be in the best interest of the children, and such children must reach the required age of five (5) for kindergarten and six (6) for first grade by January 1 of the current school year.

For a child who has not reached six (6) years of age (five [5] for kindergarten) before September, the determination of whether to admit shall be based upon one (1) or more consultations with the parent(s) or guardian(s), the child, the teacher, the school principal, and/or professional consultants.

When a child who has not reached age five (5) prior to September 1 was admitted for early enrollment in kindergarten, and the child then repeats kindergarten in the following year, the District is not eligible to receive basic state aid for the child's second year.  When a child who has not reached age five (5) prior to September 1 was admitted for early enrollment in kindergarten but does not remain enrolled the District may receive a portion of basic state aid on behalf of that child in the subsequent year.  The District may charge tuition for any child who is ineligible for basic state aid pursuant to A.R.S. 15-821.

High  School

A high school graduate with a recognized diploma may be refused admission.

Students between the ages of sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21) years shall be admitted to high school.  A student under sixteen (16) years of age who does not hold an eighth-grade certificate of promotion may be admitted to high school under the following conditions:

The student must meet competency requirements in the adopted standards for promotion of students from the eighth (8th) grade as determined by the State Board of Education in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

The Superintendent will develop procedures for the student to demonstrate competency in the standards adopted by the State Board of Education.

Residency  Verification

In accordance with guidelines and forms adopted by the Arizona Department of Education the District shall require and maintain verifiable documentation of residency in the State of Arizona for pupils who enroll in the District.

Adopted:  October 02, 2018

LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-701
15-701.01
15-703
15-766
15-767
15-771
15-821
15-901
15-901.02
A.A.C.
R7-2-301
Section 78, Arizona Laws 2009, HB 2011

CROSS REF.:
JF - Student Admissions
JHD - Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance
JLC - Student Health Services and Requirements