Enrollment

Do you offer transportation?

Yes.  We offer transportation services for a fee with limited stops in the area

Do you offer any preferences for enrollment?

Yes.  Siblings of a currently enrolled Desert Heights student, currently enrolled Desert Heights Preschool students, and children of employees and board members receive priority enrollment

Do I have to live in a specific neighborhood or city to attend?

No.

How will I know if my child is officially enrolled?

You will receive an email confirmation from our team once the enrollment process is completed. 

What paperwork is needed for admission?

• Proof of age
• Proof of residency
• Immunization record
• Home Language Survey
• Verifiable documentation of a student’s Arizona state residency

What can I provide as proof of residency?

• Valid Arizona driver’s license or Arizona Identification Card
• Valid Arizona motor vehicle registration
• Valid Arizona Address Confidentiality Program authorization card
• Property deed/Mortgage documents
• Property tax bill
• Rental agreement or lease (including Section 8 agreement or off-base military housing)
• Utility bill (water, electric, gas, cable, phone)
• Bank or credit card statement
• W-2 wage statement
• Payroll stub

Immunizations

The State of Arizona has revised the immunization requirements for elementary grade children entering school. In addition to Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT) and Polio (OPV), Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunizations, youngsters need to complete a second dose of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine and receive at least the first dose in a series of three for Hepatitis B prior to starting school. Children turning 11 years old, regardless of grade, will need to have a Tdap and Meningitis Vaccine.

Parents and guardians should contact their physician, the Arizona Department of Health Services website, or their school health official if they have questions or would like clarification. Copies of the immunization form are available in the front office. The form includes a place for certification of medical or personal exemptions, if appropriate.

A.R.S. §15 – 872 dictates that a student shall be suspended and not allowed to attend school without submitting proof of required immunizations, absent an applicable immunization exemption form. Immunization records are required to be submitted as a part of the registration process once your child has been accepted for enrollment.

Kindergarten: A child enrolling in kindergarten must be five (5) years of age on or before August 31 of the current school year.

First Grade: Desert Heights Charter Schools does not admit first grade students who are not six (6) by September 1st of their first-grade year unless the student has completed kindergarten in another school and has been promoted to the first grade. Documentation from the previous school is required.

To qualify for readiness testing, students must turn five (5) by September 30th of their kindergarten year. There is a $30 nonrefundable testing fee. Early entry is specifically geared for the exceptional child. If you would like to make an appointment to have your child tested, please complete the online enrollment registration form. Beginning on the first day of school, we only admit kindergarten students who were five (5) by September 1st of that school year or who were enrolled and are transferring from a kindergarten program elsewhere. Documentation from the previous school is required in the latter case.

The open enrollment policy at Desert Heights Charter Schools is consistent with Arizona law.  Open Enrollment takes place before the end of the current year’s first semester. Any current year waitlisted student must complete the open enrollment process for future year enrollment consideration. Current year wait listed applications do not rollover from year to year.  Applications submitted during this time are placed in a lottery or a wait list based on grade level capacity. Desert Heights Charter Schools may not accept children that are currently pending expulsion or have been expelled from Desert Heights or another school. (A.R.S. 15-184)

To receive priority consideration for acceptance, you must apply and submit a completed Open Enrollment application before the designated time frame each year. Applications will be reviewed and processed immediately following the close of Open Enrollment.

Approval of Open Enrollment application is based on grade level and program capacity. Using current enrollment, Desert Heights Charter Schools determine student enrollment, projected growth, and available space.Families will be notified by email if the completed application has been approved, denied, or placed on a wait list. Upon an approved email notification, Families must finalize the admission process online using our online registration system which can be found on the school’s website under the Enroll Now tab, no later than 10 days after the notification, or the student forfeits the approved Open Enrollment application and will need to reapply.Per Governing Board Policy, children of employees and governing board members, and siblings of students who are currently enrolled will receive priority.

If there is no capacity during Open Enrollment, the application will be waitlisted.  If capacity permits later, applications that have been waitlisted may be approved and the parent/guardian will be notified of the acceptance decision. Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete. False and omitted information submitted on the application will be considered a breach of the agreement and the open enrollment will be revoked

Current year waitlisted student(s) must complete the online enrollment application for future year enrollment consideration. Applications do not rollover from year to year.  Post Open Enrollment applications submitted after the open-enrollment period, are placed in a lottery . Approval of application is subject to grade level and capacity limits

Desert Heights Charter Schools may not accept children that are currently pending expulsion or have been expelled from Desert Heights or another school. (A.R.S. 15-184)

Re-Enrollment of currently enrolled students who plan to return the following academic school year for the next grade level takes place in the Spring. Parents can utlize ParentVUE to complete this process. Any student that has not provided a response by the deadline will be noted in our system as "Not Returning" for the future school year and the student could risk being placed on a waiting list. (does not apply to students in exit grades)

Priority enrollment for continuing students, siblings of currently enrolled students, Desert Heights Preschool students entering Kindergarten, and children of employees or Governing Board members begins early in the second semester of each school year.  Approval of application is subject to grade level and capacity limits.

Desert Heights Charter Schools may not accept children that are currently pending expulsion or have been expelled from Desert Heights or another school. (A.R.S. 15-184)

• Parents interested in enrolling a new student at a Desert Heights’ school, may enroll online using the button below. The online registration includes a checklist of required items specific to each grade level.  Registration and additional checklist items need to be uploaded or submitted to the front office to be considered complete. Students 18 years of age and older can enroll themselves in high school.
• Desert Heights Schools makes it a practice not to get involved in familial or custody issues. Teachers and/or staff will not write letters on behalf of any parent for character requests. We do require copies of custody agreements with specific parental rights be on file so that we are in the best position to adhere to court ordered decrees. Any time there are changes to custody agreements or orders of protection, the parent/guardian must notify the school and provide copies immediately.
• In accordance with A.R.S. § 15-802(B) school districts and charter schools are required to obtain and maintain verifiable documentation of Arizona residency upon enrollment in an Arizona public school. The residency of a student is determined by the residency of the parent or guardian with whom the student lives.
• The documentation required by A.R.S. § 15-802 must be provided each time a student enrolls in a school district or charter school in this state and reaffirmed during the district or charter’s annual registration process via the district or charter’s annual registration form. The documentation supporting Arizona residency should be maintained according to the school’s records retention schedule.
• Desert Heights Schools are committed to providing quality instruction that meets all individual needs of our students in a comfortable and safe learning environment from the start of their experience with us. For previously homeschooled students, the following information may optionally be provided and not used for enrollment decisions for our schools to be best equipped to support the individual learning needs of your child.
  •  Provide the school with a copy of the affidavit of intent to homeschool and details regarding the homeschool program used (e.g., name, enrollment date, etc.) along with a copy of any applicable state testing scores.
  •  Complete an assessment test and meet with the school to determine grade placement

Submit a Enrollment Interest Form to add your child’s name to our interest list, and we will contact you when Open Enrollment for the future school year(s) begins.  Completing the online form does not obligate your child to attend Desert Heights Charter Schools. Please complete a separate form for each child in the family, that is not currently attending Desert Heights Charter Schools.