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TAXPAYERS, LOWER YOUR TAXES AND SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!
 
TAX CREDIT: HOW DOES IT WORK?

A Tax Credit, which is the dollar-for dollar reduction of your tax liability, is better than a tax deduction, which only reduces your taxable income before taxes are computed.

Instead of sending all your state taxes to the State of Arizona, you can make a contribution to a public school. A.R.S. §43-1089.01 allows taxpayers a TAX CREDIT  up to $200.00 for “Single” or “Head of Household” tax filers and up to $400.00 for “Married Couple Filing a Joint Return” when contributing to EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES in public schools. This gives you the opportunity to help your local school. The tax credit is available to all taxpayers, regardless of whether they have children in school. It would be advisable to consult your tax advisor regarding your specific tax status.

What is an EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY?

Extracurricular activity means any optional, non-credit educational or competitive school sponsored activity that supplements the education program of the school. Activities such as sports, visual and performing arts, field trips, outdoor education or character education programs can be funded with tax credit money. Extracurricular activities do not include any events that are recreational, amusement or tourist activities.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
You may select which school and which program you would like to support. The amount of the tax credit you take does not have to be for the total allowance. You can make a difference in our schools with just $50.00, $75.00, or $100.00. In addition, the credit may be split between one or more schools and/or one or more programs. 

HOW CAN I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TAX CREDIT? UPDATE

Complete the attached form and return to the school of your choice by April 15, 2020 or mail to the District Office prior to April 15, 2020 in order to take it off your State of Arizona taxes at the time you file for 2019. Arizona Tax Credit Donation Form
Create an online payment by going to this link  

It is easy! The District will provide you with a receipt verifying that you have contributed to an eligible extracurricular activity.

For more information contact Wendy Taylor at the District Office, 623-535-6000.

When you provide a check as payment, you authorize the Litchfield Elementary School District (LESD) either to use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction

Special Education Programs

At LESD, we BELIEVE in ALL of our children and live and breathe those beliefs every day! This means that we work diligently at providing the very best programming for each and every one of our children with Individualized Educational Plans.

We BELIEVE that every one of our children need to be with their general education peers to the maximum extent appropriate while providing each with an intense individualized program. Each one of our schools has a resource program where children can receive a combination of instruction within their general education classroom and intensive intervention within the resource room.

When children require a higher level of support, we have many different focused programs to meet the diverse needs of our student population.

 STRIDE

 Structured Teaching, Research-Based, Inclusion and Data-Driven Education

Corte Sierra Elementary, Dreaming Summit Elementary, Litchfield Elementary, Mabel Padgett Elementary, Scott Libby Elementary, and Wigwam Creek Middle School have a program that focuses on the needs of children on the autism spectrum in a structured teaching environment. This program utilizes the use of research-based practices including Structured Teaching, Applied Behavior Analysis, positive behavior supports, visual supports, and inclusion.

 LABS

Lifelong Academic and Behavioral Strategies

Verrado Elementary School, Rancho Santa Fe Elementary School and Verrado Middle School programs focus on behavior and social skills. The children in this program are cognitively and academically ready for success but they need intense support in developing appropriate social and behavior skills to be successful within the general education environment.

SAILS

Social, Academic, Inclusion, and Life Skills

Palm Valley Elementary School, L. Thomas Heck Middle School, and School #17 programs focus on the needs of children with intellectual disabilities and/or with multiple disabilities. The focus is on meeting the unique needs of each child through the use of sensory, academics, functional academics, daily living skills, social and communication skills.

CALM

Communication, Academics, Life skills, Medical

Litchfield Elementary School has a program for medically fragile students in grades K through 8 who have specific medical needs which require a safe environment and specialized healthcare procedures specific for their health needs. The classroom is staffed with a classroom nurse and additional support staff. 

TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN (TK)

Barbara B. Robey Elementary School has a Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program which is designed to bridge the transition from preschool and kindergarten for students who require more individualized support.  TK follows the same curriculum as the general education kindergarten classrooms but does so with a smaller student to staff ratio and more intense support and gradual inclusion plan. The goal of this program is to prepare the students to successfully transition to a general education first grade classroom with resource support services, as needed.

CHAT STARS

This program at Barbara B. Robey Elementary School is for students in grades kindergarten through second grade. The program is designed for students who have a significant delay in language development or a communication disorder which impacts their communication in an educational setting. The program is designed to provide a setting with a smaller class size and staff support to address each child's communication and language needs through intensive, daily instruction. The goal is to integrate into general education or transition to another program to meet ongoing needs by third grade.

ARISE

Advocacy, Readiness, Inclusion, Social and Executive Skills

This Western Sky Middle School program was designed to bridge the academic gap between elementary and middle school for students that require more support than can be provided in a resource setting. This program provides students with additional tools for the academic, social, self-advocacy and organizational demands of middle school. In addition, students in this program will be included in the general education setting for a portion of the day as appropriate to the individual needs of each student.

GAINS

      Grade level Academics, Inclusion and Navigating Social skills

This Western Sky Middle School program was designed to bridge the gap between elementary and middle school with a grade level academic focus. This program provides additional support to middle school students as they develop the social and organizational skills needed for the transition to high school. Students in this program will be included in the general education setting for a portion of the day as appropriate to the individual needs of each student.