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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

Open Enrollment Information

2024-2025 school year Open enrollment applications are being accepted.

IMPORTANT: Open Enrollment Applications must be submitted each school year.

Open Enrollment Application
OE app

Open Enrollment Application


(This is NOT the registration process, once approved you must then complete the registration process).

Arizona state law allows students to apply for admission to any state public school, based on available classroom space. Open Enrollment applications are approved on a year-by-year basis with no guarantee of continued enrollment. While a few schools in the Litchfield Elementary School District will have space for Open Enrollment students, some schools will have closed enrollment because of growing student populations.

Open enrollment applications are only available online via the Litchfield Elementary School District website. In the event you do not have online computer access, you may utilize a computer at the Litchfield Elementary School District Office in order to submit your application online.

Open Enrollment Availability 2024-2025 School Year (updated 11.12.24)

Note: Capacity is updated every 12 weeks, per Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) 15-816.01, unless there are no changes to report. Please note that due to daily fluctuations in district and school enrollment, actual capacity on a given day may be different from what is indicated below. "Yes" indicates there are openings.

Open Enrollment Availability 24-25 Governing Board Approved 11.12.24

 

Open Enrollment FAQ

What is Open Enrollment?
Arizona state law allows students to apply for admission to any state public school, based on available classroom space. Open Enrollment applications are approved on a year-by-year basis with no guarantee of continued enrollment.  Click here to view Governing Board Policy JFB - Open Enrollment

What is a variance?
A variance is the same as an Open Enrollment.

Who may apply for Open Enrollment?
Any family residing in Arizona may apply for Open Enrollment into a Litchfield school. For this reason, the state is considered among the leaders in the country for educational choice.

Where do I obtain an application?
Open Enrollment applications are available at the top of this page. They are school year specific. Applications can only be submitted online.

What are the timelines?
The Open Enrollment period begins in January during the school year prior to the year Open Enrollment is being requested. The timelines are outlined in the link below: 

 https://policy.azsba.org/asba/browse/allmanuals/litchfield/JFB-R

How is approval of an Open Enrollment application determined?
Approval of application first requires a determination as to the number of Open Enrollment openings (capacity) available per school. Students who have submitted application will be ranked by priority status according to District Governing Policy JFB - Open Enrollment. Selection is done by priority level. If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process. Grade level and program capacity will be considered when determining approval. Failure to notify the District of special program needs indicated on the Open Enrollment forms may necessitate a re-submission of the application for evaluation. A student requiring specialized support could be denied if the resources at the school are at capacity.

How will I be notified?
Parents will receive notification of their application approval, waitlist or denial before the new school year begins via email, if application is submitted by July 15th. Be sure to also check your junk folder for your email response.

What if I miss the deadline for the application?
If the designated Open Enrollment deadline is missed, an Open Enrollment Application may still be submitted for consideration. Once available capacity is determined, application will be considered based on priority status, and parents/legal guardians will be notified. Once the campus meets or exceeds its capacity, either through Open Enrollment or population growth, the school will be closed to further Open Enrollments.

What if my child is currently attending on Open Enrollment, do I need to reapply?
All students attending a school outside of their attendance boundary will need to apply for Open Enrollment each year. Acceptance is on a Year-by-Year basis and will be reviewed each new school year.

What if my school attendance area undergoes a boundary change, can I stay at my same school?
You may apply for Open Enrollment to stay at your same school. 

May I apply during the school year?
Open Enrollment Application may be considered during the school year for schools which have not reached capacity.

Is transportation provided?
District transportation is not provided to Open Enrollment students. Parents are responsible for transportation to and from school in a safe and timely manner. Standards of reasonableness and prudence apply with respect to young children and supervised travel to and from school. Dropping young children off/picking up at local parks with the expectation that they will walk unsupervised to/from school is unsafe. Fee based extended day programs are available at our elementary schools to accommodate early drop off and late pick up.

What if I have a child in first grade and one in second grade and the application is approved for the first grader and denied for the second grader? (Grade level could be any grade level example.)
The district cannot accommodate a sibling if the grade level is at or exceeds capacity when another sibling has been approved at another grade level. The family must decide if they want to have students enrolled at different schools, or decline the Open Enrollment seat in order to keep families together at one school.

What happens if we originally resided in a LESD school’s attendance boundary and then moved outside of the school’s or the district’s attendance boundary?
When a change in address places a pupil outside the attendance area of the pupil’s enrolled school, an application for open enrollment must be submitted within ten (10) days of the change in residence.  The pupil may be admitted as a nonresident or resident transfer pupil subject to the rules set forth in this regulation.  Failure to complete this process may result in the student being withdrawn at the end of ten (10) school days unless capacity would allow the student to finish the school year as stated in the enrollment priorities below.

Can my child’s Open Enrollment status be revoked once granted?
Open Enrollment status is reviewed each year. Open Enrollment can be denied due to grade/program capacities, attendance/tardiness issues, or failure to follow school rules on the part of the parent or student. Each year Principals make recommendations to the Superintendent regarding these situations. Parents will receive written notification if their child’s Open Enrollment has been revoked due to these issues.

How does the waitlist work?
If capacity (space) is unavailable at the selected school(s) listed on the open enrollment application the student will be placed on a waitlist. Once on the waitlist consideration is for school choice 1. At the time of the initial placement an offer for an additional school choice may be given. This offer will have an expiration date to reply by. If the offer expires, the open enrollment application will continue on the waitlist for school choice 1. Students will remain on the waitlist until there is space available at school choice 1 or advised by parent/guardian to be removed from the waitlist. If approved, an email notification will be sent regarding approval. A monthly email is sent to confirm the open enrollment application is still on the waitlist. The waitlist is reviewed weekly.

Definitions

Out-of-District Student: Nonresident pupil means a pupil who resides in this state and who is seeking enrollment in a school district other than the school district in which the pupil resides.

Intra-District Student: Resident transfer pupil means a resident pupil who is enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a school that is within the school district, but outside the attendance area, of the pupil’s residence.