An East Valley school district is opening its doors to school voucher families looking for the academic and social benefits of a traditional public school.
For the 2026-27 school year, Apache Junction Unified School District will accept students enrolled in the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Robert Pappalardo, the district's superintendent, said this will allow parents to extend their child’s education beyond what they’re able to teach at home.
But the benefits go beyond education. The district’s AJUSD FLEX program allows students to build their own schedule so that they can stack classes around a school’s lunch period — giving them the opportunity to socialize and build friendships the same way full-time students do.
Arizona
is on the cutting edge of school choice, Pappalardo said, and the district is trying to provide that opportunity to parents who want traditional schooling on their own terms. AJUSD FLEX's social aspect is the district’s way of distinguishing itself from similar programs.
“We're trying to fill a niche that parents might be looking for to expand their child's educational opportunity in a public system, even though they have chosen to be outside the system,” Pappalardo said.
The state has seen a decline in the number of births since 2008, which Pappalardo said has been impacting schools across the state. A study from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that the number of births per capita in the state per decreased by 20% from 2013 to 2023.
As public schools receive federal and state dollars for every student enrolled, Pappalardo said the program is also a way to recoup some of the dollars lost because of declining enrollment.
The district is also reimagining its extracurriculars by creating course periods for them during the school day called studio blocks. The change allows students who have limited access to transportation, such as ESA students, to participate in clubs during normal school hours instead of staying after school.
How AJUSD FLEX determines program pricing
Apache Junction Unified offers its AJUSD FLEX program from early childhood through high school.
High school classes cost $600 per class per semester. Junior high and high school athletics also cost $600 for each sport per semester. Kindergarten through eighth-grade courses are priced at $450 per class per semester.
Preschool-age children can attend the district's Early Learning Center at various prices ranging from $100 per week to $1,650 a year.
Pappalardo said course fees are determined by how much the district would have earned from a student taking the same number of courses. The superintendent acknowledged costs will never be recouped 100%, but he said the benefit of attracting the growing population of students who opt for school vouchers should outweigh those costs.
Mesa Public Schools also offers sports to homeschooled students at $2,050 per season for high school athletics and $1,025 for esports. District required courses are priced at $1,230 or $1,435 for an elective.
Mesa Public Schools, which is Arizona’s largest school district with over 53,000 students, had about 10 ESA students participate in the district's athletics program during the 2025-26 school year, according to Jen Snyder, a spokesperson for the district.
Agua Fria High School District's tuition rate for the 2026-27 school year is $1,150 for each class, with an additional $1,000 for each club or extracurricular activity.
ESA records obtained by The Arizona Republic show Cave Creek Unified School District, Vail School District and Colorado City Unified School District also received voucher money, but did not return requests for comment on their fee schedules.
Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Declining enrollment pushes school districts to court voucher families
