Open Enrollment Complaint
Thank you for contacting the Arizona Department of Education. If you feel a district public school has violated Open Enrollment law, pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-816 and A.R.S. § 15-816.01, please fill out the form below. If your child attends a public charter school, they will need to contact the Arizona State Board of Education for Charter Schools.
All complaints submitted to the Arizona Department of Education are not anonymous, and all contact information is required for ADE to investigate your complaint. ADE is unable to investigate complaints when it is unable to contact the complainant to get more information when required. By submitting a complaint, you acknowledge and agree that all information you provide may be transmitted to the school in question as part of the investigation.
The Arizona Department of Education only has jurisdiction to investigate complaints as outlined in A.R.S. § 15-816.01 relating to Open Enrollment laws. ADE will investigate complaints by reviewing the information provided and reaching out to the district public school for its response. If the information provided shows that it is more likely than not that a violation did occur, ADE will provide technical assistance to the district public school and inform the district public school that it must correct the issue within 15 days. ADE will also report the results of its investigation to the Arizona State Board of Education.
Below are some examples of violations of Open Enrollment laws as outlined in statute:
- School districts failing to give enrollment preference and reserve capacity for resident students, students returning to the same school from the prior year, or siblings of already enrolled students.
- School districts not selecting students through an equitable process if capacity is insufficient to enroll all students such as a lottery.
- School districts limit admission based on ethnicity or race, national origin, sex, income level, disabilities, proficiency in the English language, or athletic ability.
Complete the following form to submit your complaint; all fields are required. For your complaint to be processed, you must enter a valid email address and phone number.
