Parent resources
Resources for Arizona homeschool families
Official links and plain-language guides for parents of teens, all in one place.
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Last checked: Oct 31, 2026. We list official sources first, then homeschool groups, then tool makers. Rooted & Bold does not run these sites. Rules change, so check each page before you act.
Jump to: Getting started in Arizona · ESA money · Transcripts and credits · Electives and courses · Teen business and life skills · Hear when the newsletter starts
Getting started in Arizona
Arizona homeschool families file a signed, notarized form with their county school superintendent. It is called an affidavit of intent.
File it within 30 days of starting, for children ages 6 to 16.
Arizona law says an ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account) parent must not file it (A.R.S. 15-2402). Maricopa and Pima county offices say the same. If you already filed, ask your county how to withdraw.
This is general information, not legal advice.
- Arizona homeschool law (A.R.S. 15-802)Read the law itself, including what the affidavit must say and when to file it.
- Arizona law for ESA parents (A.R.S. 15-2402)Section B, paragraph 5 says an ESA parent agrees not to file the homeschool affidavit.
- Maricopa County School Superintendent: homeschoolShows how to file in Maricopa County and what proof of your child's age to include.
- Pima County School Superintendent: homeschoolShows how to register in Pima County and says not to file if your child has an ESA.
- Arizona county school offices (Department of Education list)Helps you find the right office if you live outside Maricopa County.
- Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE): law and affidavitA statewide homeschool group explains the steps and lists every county office with its address.
- Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA): Arizona lawGives a plain summary of Arizona's rules from a national homeschool legal group.
ESA money
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) runs the ESA program. Its rules change, so use these pages for the latest.
The handbook PDF below is the 2025-26 edition. Check the handbook page for a newer one.
- ADE: Empowerment Scholarship AccountsThe official program page, so you can start with the source.
- ESA eligibility and applicationLists who can apply and which documents to upload.
- ESA Parent Handbook and resourcesLinks the current handbook and short guides on uploading receipts and viewing your transactions.
- ESA Parent Handbook 2025-26 (PDF)The full rulebook, including the receipt checklist on pages 43 to 44.
- ADE ESA support pageKeeps past ADE emails with news and program tips in one place.
Transcripts and credits
A transcript is a record of your teen's courses, credits and grades. Colleges may ask for one.
Keeping it as you go saves time in senior year.
- HSLDA: 3 ways to decide high school course creditExplains three ways to set a course's credit: by textbook, by hours, or from college credit.
- HSLDA: Electives, the zing in your high school planLists elective ideas by subject, from business to life skills, and how to record them.
- HSLDA transcript user guideShows what a homeschool transcript includes, even if you never use HSLDA's paid transcript tool.
- Arizona State University (ASU): homeschool applicantsShows what a homeschool transcript must list for Arizona State University, such as courses, credits, grades and a parent signature.
- University of Arizona: admissions questionsScroll to the homeschool question to see when a signed final transcript is needed.
Electives and courses
Our half-credit elective idea is Building Software with AI Coding Tools. Your teen describes what an app should do, and an AI coding tool writes the code.
These pages come from the companies that make the tools, so they describe their own products. Read them with your teen.
- GitHub: spec-driven developmentExplains why writing a plan before the AI starts can help.
- Spec KitAn open source tool from GitHub that guides your teen through writing the plan.
- Kiro: specsShows how Kiro, another AI coding tool, turns a written plan into steps.
- Claude Code overviewA plain overview of Claude Code, an AI coding tool from Anthropic.
- GitHub Copilot ChatShows how to ask Copilot, an AI coding tool, questions while writing code.
- OpenAI Help: CodexExplains how Codex, an AI coding tool from OpenAI, works with a ChatGPT plan.
Check the age rules first
Each tool sets its own minimum age. Rules change, so read these before your teen signs up.
Our summary of the pages below, checked Oct 31, 2026: Cursor and Claude say 18 or older. GitHub says 13 or older. OpenAI says 13 or older, with a parent's permission under 18.
- GitHub terms of serviceShows the age rule for GitHub accounts, which Copilot uses.
- Cursor terms of serviceShows the age rule for Cursor.
- Anthropic consumer termsShows the age rule for Claude, which includes Claude Code.
- OpenAI terms of useShows OpenAI's age rule, which covers Codex.
- Kiro license and AWS customer agreementKiro is licensed under the AWS agreement, which says you must not be a minor. Kiro's own pages state no age.
Teen business and life skills
Ideas and rules for teens who start a small business or take a job. Your city may have its own rules, so check there too.
- Arizona law on youth businesses (A.R.S. 42-5045)Says a business owner under 19 needs no state sales tax license if yearly sales stay at $10,000 or less.
- Arizona Department of Revenue: rule for people under 19Says the same thing as the law above, in the agency's own words.
- Arizona Small Business ChecklistA step-by-step checklist for starting a business in Arizona.
- Industrial Commission: youth employment questionsAnswers common questions when a teen works for an employer, including that Arizona has no work permit.
- Sun Journal: a 16-year-old runs a coffee and lemonade truckA real story of a homeschooled teen in Maine who started her own business.
Hear when the newsletter starts
We plan to send one elective idea, a transcript tip and an ESA paperwork tip per issue.