Tucson charter school enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is officially open, and Academy Del Sol — the city’s tuition-free K-8 Fine Arts charter — is filling spots at both campuses now. If you’re considering ADS for your child this fall, here’s what’s drawing families to enroll.
Tuition-Free, Always
Academy Del Sol is a public charter school under Arizona State Board for Charter Schools authorization. That means no tuition, no application fees, no income requirements, no testing to get in. We’ve served Tucson families for over fifteen years on the belief that a world-class K-8 education shouldn’t be limited to families who can afford it. That hasn’t changed and it won’t.
What Tucson Charter School Enrollment Looks Like at ADS
The application for 2026-27 is straightforward — open through our PowerSchool enrollment portal. Tucson charter school enrollment is lottery-based when a grade reaches capacity, with priority given to siblings of current students. Most grades still have spots, but kindergarten and our entering grades tend to fill first.
The Arts Aren’t Extra
Music, visual arts, theater, and movement aren’t electives at ADS. They’re part of every student’s day at every grade level, from kindergarten through 8th grade. We use music to teach math facts. Theater to explore literature. Drawing to sharpen science observation. The arts aren’t separate from learning — they ARE learning.
That integration is what makes us a Fine Arts charter school. It’s also why parents who tour our campuses often say their child finally seems excited to go to school again.
Two Campuses, Different Personalities
Our two Tucson campuses share the same K-8 curriculum and the same commitment to every child — but they have different personalities. Star Valley in West Tucson is home to the Firebirds, with strong athletics and a tight-knit West Side community feel. Roger Road in Central Tucson is home to the Roadrunners, a vibrant bilingual community where every culture is celebrated.
We encourage families to tour both. Most pick based on proximity, but the right fit is whichever campus feels like home.
Every Child, Known by Name
Class sizes at ADS are small enough that teachers actually know every student — their strengths, their struggles, their stories. No anonymous learners in the back row. For families coming from larger schools, that’s often the biggest change. For families considering us for the first time, it’s often the deciding factor.
A Real K-8 Continuum
Students grow up at ADS — kindergarten through 8th grade, at the same school. That continuity creates deeper relationships with teachers and a sense of belonging that’s hard to find when families change schools every few years. By the time our 8th graders graduate, they’ve been with the same community of teachers, peers, and families for the better part of a decade.
Apply Now
Application for 2026-27 is open through our PowerSchool enrollment portal. The process is bilingual, and our campus offices are happy to walk you through it. Tour either campus first if you’d like — we love showing families around.
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