Arizona

Tom Patterson, the original legislative sponsor of the charter bill in Arizona, argued, “... that students should be able to transfer between district schools even if they lived outside the attendance boundary.”

The charter concept first appears in an Arizona newspaper called, “The Arizona Republic”. This same year, Minnesota would open the very first charter school in the United States.

Arizona's 1994 legislative session saw the failure of the first charter law which had been packaged in a larger education bill. Then Governor Fife Symington, took the opportunity to call a special session with the support of Senate proponent Tom Patterson and House Representative Lisa Graham, this time stripping the original bill of its voucher initiative. After a 51-hour special session and bi-partisan support, Arizona welcomed its first charter school law, HB 2002. Arizona became the 11^th state to adopt a charter school law.

The Arizona State Board For Charter Schools is created, becoming one of the first authorizers in the state. In the future, universities, local school districts, community colleges, and the state board would also become viable options for authorizing charter schools.

1995 saw the creation of 67 charter schools, enrolling 8000 students.

Charters, like in many states, had a shaky start due to lack of finances, facilities, infrastructure and public understanding of this new educational concept.

Founded in 1995, the Arizona Charter Schools Association continues to advocate for and strengthen, “...the autonomy, equity, and quality of Arizona’s diverse public charter schools.”

Charter advocate, Armando Ruiz, opens one of the first charter schools. Apply named Esperanza, or “hope”.

HB 2384 is passed and “...established revocation criteria, changed the length of a charter from five years to 15 years (with interim reviews at five-year intervals), and allowed any property of a charter school to remain the property of a charter school.”

Arizona sees its first charter failure. Citizen 2000, one of the first 46 charters established, shutters its doors due to fraud and bankruptcy. A sign that the first law prided innovation over regulation.

HB 2293 is passed and “... required charter school participation in the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards Test (AIMS).”

Arizona is ranked first of fifty by the Manhattan Institute based on the amount of education freedom available for families.

Under Laws 2010, Chapter 332, “... state universities and community college districts to sponsor an Arizona charter school and allowed the Board to use the services of the Arizona Auditor General.”

“... 21 of the top 30 public schools in Arizona are charter schools, according to Arizona Department of Education test scores.” For the 2013 school year, Arizona was home to 602 charter schools serving 190,000 students.

“... 21 of the top 30 public schools in Arizona are charter schools, according to Arizona Department of Education test scores.” For the 2013 school year, Arizona was home to 602 charter schools serving 190,000 students.

“...charter schools had higher State test score passing rates than the state average.”

Laws 2016, Chapter 124-”... eliminated the authority for a school district to sponsor a charter school and made related conforming changes.”

Arizona celebrates the 25^th anniversary of chartering with having over 200,000 students enrolled in charters in the state.

Today 560 charter schools serve over 232,000 students in the state of Arizona. “In fact, the charter school sector currently serves higher percentages of African-American, Asian, and multiracial students than districts.”