Arizona Connections Academy Enrollment Checklist for the 2020-21 School Year

Do you have everything you need? Because Connections Academy is a public school, parents must submit state-required information and documentation for each student. You will save time and enrollment will go more smoothly if you are prepared!

Use the Enrollment Checklist below to gather the documents you will need. The checklist lists your state's requirements, plus tips to help you find documents you may not have. Once you have your documents ready, it’s easy to create an account and complete the enrollment forms in The Enrollment Portal.

Students who are currently expelled from their local school or district may not be eligible to enroll.

A copy of one of the following documents must be provided for every student to verify age eligibility.

• Official birth certificate
• U.S. Passport
• Green Card (Permanent Resident Card)
• Baptismal record

To avoid unnecessary delays, provide a copy of one of these official documents along with your enrollment documents. If you do not have either of these documents, please contact the enrollment team at 800-221-2720 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Not Sure Where to Get That?

• If you need a copy of your child's birth certificate, you can order it online through the Arizona Department of Health Services. Please visit the Arizona Department of Health Services website for more information.
• If your child was born in another state, please visit the CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records webpage for more information. When using this tool, please remember to follow the CDC's Application Guidelines.
• Need a replacement Green Card (Permanent Resident Card)? Visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

As a reminder, the age eligibility is as follows:

• Kindergarten: Any student enrolling in kindergarten must be five (5) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which you are enrolling.
• First Grade: Any student enrolling in first grade must be six (6) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which you are enrolling.
• Maximum Age: Any student who turns twenty-one (21) years old on or before September 1 will not be eligible to enroll in Arizona Connections Academy.

According to the Arizona Department of Education Residency Guidelines, you must reside in the State of Arizona and provide ONE acceptable proof of residency to be eligible for enrollment in Arizona Connections Academy. There are many verifiable forms of documentation, which are detailed below.

Not Sure What is Accepted as Proof?

• Utility bill
  Acceptable Documents Include: gas, electric, sewage, cable, Internet, home phone or water bill that is dated within the last 60 days and includes your name and service address.
• Mortgage statement or lease agreement
  Acceptable Documents Include: Mortgage statement, rental agreement, or lease (including Section 8 agreement). Please note: Documents must be of a current date, as appropriate for the type of document submitted.
• Valid Arizona driver's license
• Property tax statement
• Arizona state identification card
• Valid Arizona motor vehicle registration
• Payroll stub from the last 60 days showing your home address issued to the parent/guardian
• Letter from a government agency from the last 60 days
• Certificate of tribal enrollment or other identification issued by a recognized Native American tribe
• W-2 form showing your home address

• If you do not have any of these documents, please contact the enrollment team at 800-221-2720 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

All Arizona Connections Academy students must provide evidence of their immunizations on one of the following:

• State of Arizona Official Immunization Form
• Immunization booklet with all doses signed/stamped
• Official school record
• Health care provider/Health Department printout
• Connections Academy Immunization Form, which is a part of your enrollment documents available in the Enrollment Portal.

These forms must be signed or stamped by a health care provider.

Not Sure What Immunizations Are Required?

For a complete listing of immunizations required by the Arizona Department of Health Services, view the Arizona School Immunizations Requirements for K–12 webpage.

Where Can I Get Immunizations for My Student?

Immunizations can be obtained from doctor’s offices, clinics, or hospitals. Pediatricians and family doctors or their nurses or medical assistants can give your student the shots they need to meet the requirements for school enrollment. In addition, some large chain pharmacies offer immunizations for older children and adults.

What if I Need Assistance Paying for Vaccines?

If you need assistance paying for shots/vaccinations, you may be able to get free or reduced immunizations through this program:

• Vaccines for Children (VFC) program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. Children who are eligible for VFC vaccines are entitled to receive pediatric vaccines that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Immunization Exemptions

The law allows parents/guardians to choose exemptions from immunization requirements based on their personal beliefs, and physicians of children to choose medical exemptions from immunization requirements. Medical Exemptions should be completed by a physician on the Arizona Medical Exemption Form and submitted along with any existing shot history. If choosing a personal exemption, please complete the Arizona Personal Beliefs Exemption Form.

• Medical Exemption: According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, "if the immunization would be a health risk to the child because of pre-existing medical conditions, you must sign the form along with your physician’s or nurse practitioner’s signature. Your physician or nurse practitioner must state the reason for the medical exemption. The exemption may be for one or more vaccines, and may be either permanent or temporary. If the condition is temporary, the date of its end must be given, at which time the child must receive any necessary vaccine doses".
• Personal Beliefs: If immunizations are against your personal beliefs, you must sign the form to exempt your child from the requirements.

All students who have previously attended public school, private school, or homeschool are eligible to enroll and will be requested to submit academic records for placement.

• Report Card
  For students applying for grades K–9: Please submit a copy of the report card from the most recent school year.
  
  The following items should be included on the report card:
  • Student Name
  • Grade Level
  • School Year (example: 2019–20)
  • School Name
  • Grading Scale (example: 90–100%=A)
• Unofficial Transcript
  For students applying for grades10–12: Submit an unofficial transcript that includes the complete end-of-year grades from the prior school year and any academic documentation (such as a progress report/interim report, class schedule, or marking period/semester report card) issued for the prior school year. Additional documentation may be requested for placement.
  
  The following items should be included on the unofficial transcript:
  • Student Name
  • Grade Level
  • School Year (example: 2019–20)
  • School Name
  • Grading Scale (example: 90–100%=A)
  • Credits Earned

Not Sure How to Get Your Child’s Report Card or Transcript?

• Contact your student's previous school and request the document, providing them with the information outlined above, OR contact your school's district office with the request.

If after attempting these steps you still cannot obtain your student's report card or transcript, please contact the academic placement services team at 800-221-2720 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Have Your Child(ren) Been Formerly Homeschooled?

If your children are currently homeschooled, please complete one of the two documents below. These documents will be available to you in the Enrollment Portal.

• Prior Academic History Form
  For homeschooled students in grades K–12: Complete the Prior Academic History Form indicating what courses were completed through a homeschool curriculum. 

You may need to provide additional documentation if any of the following circumstances apply:

• Custody order: If your legal guardianship is determined by a court order, please submit a copy of the order.
• State Testing Documentation: If your student is applying for fourth grade, the reading portion of the state assessment is used for promotion criteria and will be reviewed by an academic placement advisor during the course placement process. Please submit a copy of the results for this assessment to expedite your student’s course placement.

Ready to Enroll?

Once you have all of the required documentation (outlined above), you are ready to proceed with enrollment in Arizona Connections Academy.