Maricopa County, a booming area in a state with a growing, mobile population, is the fourth largest county in the United States. Throughout its many different public school districts, you'll find a variety of schools and quality of education--from small schools with fewer than 100 students to schools with over a 1,000 students, from magnet schools emphasizing a back-to-basics curriculum to schools with a vocational focus. You can choose among neighborhood schools, schools outside your neighborhood boundary or district, magnet schools, alternative schools and charter schools. If this sounds overwhelming, don't panic. Read on for a simple guide to choosing the right school for your child.

Choosing a School in Maricopa County Step by Step
The large number of schools, as well as the variety, can make choosing a school a daunting process. Follow these simple steps to make the process manageable.

1. Decide what's important to you. With so many schools to choose from, it's a good idea to determine first what is important to you and your child. Do you prefer a small school where everyone knows each other or a large school that offers a variety of classes and activities? Do you want a school close to home or are you willing to drive a considerable distance to attend a school with more attractive offerings? Use the GreatSchools.net tool, Imagining Your Ideal School to sort out your priorities.

2. Browse top-rated schools in Phoenix. See GreatSchools.net's list of schools with high academic ratings in the Phoenix metropolitan area for elementary and middle schools.(Insufficient data is available from the state Department of Education to provide this rating for high schools.) The rating is based on an achievement summary of test scores. Schools with four or five stars are considered "top-rated."

3. Take a look at your neighborhood school. Your first option is your neighborhood school. If it meets your criteria, you will save yourself transportation time and costs, as well as application paperwork, and your child will develop friendships with other students close to home. Research the school on GreatSchools.net, talk to neighbors and visit the school in person to find out if it is the right school for your child. If not, start looking into other options.

4. Research open enrollment options. If your neighborhood school does not meet your criteria, look into open enrollment, a process where you apply to another school in your district or in a neighboring district. Although all schools in Arizona are required by law to provide for open enrollment, each district sets its own rules and application deadlines. Acceptance is based on space availability. The more desirable the school, the more difficult it is to secure a space. Here are some key tips about open enrollment, according to local Arizona education experts:

• "It's definitely variable," says Rob Melnick of the Morrison Institute, a public policy think tank at Arizona State University. "There are schools you would want to enroll in and others you would not. It's like having a duty-free zone for shopping but not enough stores to shop in."

• "The Scottsdale School District rarely takes kids from outside the district. It's based on space and it's definitely difficult to get into the better schools," says Terry Benson, past president of the Scottsdale Parent Council and a realtor in Scottsdale.

• The Tempe Elementary School District, plagued by declining enrollment and the threat of school closures a few years ago, has refocused its schools and curriculum, and brought in new leadership. It offers free, full-day kindergarten and music beginning in the fourth grade at every school. Test scores are on the rise and it has become a desirable district. It now accepts over 1,300 students from outside the district through open enrollment.

• Start the process early. Many districts require that applications be submitted by February of the prior year, although districts that have space will usually take students at any time. Some home districts require that you apply for a waiver in order to transfer out of the district.

• Once accepted into another school, there are strict rules for students enrolled under open enrollment policies: Students who do not meet attendance or discipline guidelines, or who don't succeed academically, can be sent back to their neighborhood school. Be aware when choosing schools outside your home district that curriculum and standards may vary from district to district.

5. Consider charter and magnet school options. Arizona has one of the most liberal charter school laws and the largest number of charter schools of any state in the nation. Charter schools vary according to size, curriculum and philosophy. Some charter schools cater to students at risk, while others focus on a back-to-basics curriculum, the arts, business or agriculture. They are required by law to accept students on a first-come, first-served basis. Many are small and provide a great deal of individualized attention for students. For more information, see Choosing a Charter School in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

Many districts have magnet schools, each with a special focus such as performing arts or back-to-basics. Some districts, like the Mesa Unified School District, have opened magnet schools in an effort to keep students within the district and ward off the competition from charter schools.

6. Examine the school profiles but don't rely exclusively on test scores. Use GreatSchools.net to search for schools near your home or search for schools by district or county. On GreatSchools.net school profiles, you'll find information on test scores, teacher experience and credentials, student demographics and a new feature—-parent reviews--to give you specific information about the schools you are exploring. But don't forget to consider factors that might not show up in the data, such as school leadership, the level of parent involvement, the learning environment, awards the school may have received and how the school handles its finances--things you can best learn by visiting the school in person.

7. Visit schools. Researching schools on Greatschools.net will give you hard numbers by which to compare and assess school quality, but to know whether a school is right for your child, you'll need to visit in person. Below are some ideas for what to look for when visiting a school.

8. Follow the experts' school visit tips:

• John Weimer, retired principal of Sees Charter School in Scottsdale, suggests visiting a school, observing how the principal interacts with teachers and students, checking to see how many teachers have degrees in the subject areas they are teaching and spending lunchtime at the school to see how the students behave.

• Carol Peck, the former superintendent of the Alhambra Elementary School District notes, "You can tell a lot by how you are welcomed at a school." She also recommends asking the principal what the expectations are for student achievement and observing the condition of the physical plant to see if it is maintained with care and pride.

• "Checking for parent involvement may be as important as checking on test scores, the school report card, school awards and location," advises Terrie Minnick, past president of the Arizona State PTA. "Parent involvement makes all the difference in a school. Research shows that when parents are involved, students have higher graduation rates, test scores and grades as well as better attendance." Be sure to ask at the school you are visiting how and when parents are involved.

• In this era of state budget cuts, Minnick also suggests checking to see how a school is handling their finances. Is the school cutting back on important programs or making class sizes bigger to balance the books? Ask the principal about the school's financial situation and where the budget is headed in the future.

• Francine Aiello, a counselor at Arcadia High School in the Scottsdale Unified District, advises asking about the college entrance rate for graduating seniors when checking high schools.

• Terry Benson suggests looking at surveys done at the schools to see the level of parent and staff satisfaction.

  Additional Resources:
  To learn about specific schools and districts in Maricopa County read:
  Getting the Best Education for Your Child in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
  They've Got Our Attention: Notable Schools in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
  Choosing a Charter School in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

  For other articles on school choice on GreatSchools.net check:
  Open Enrollment: Beyond Your Neighborhood School
  School Choice in Arizona: An Overview of Your Options

  Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools
  Check this Web site for a list of schools, districts and boundary maps.

  Updated July 2005