How the money fits
Balch Springs Christian Academy was not in the state's TEFA finder when we checked on October 12, 2026, so an Education Freedom Account can't be used for tuition here right now. To join, a school must be accredited by a TEPSAC-recognized body or TEA, have operated for at least two school years, and give students in grades 3-12 a nationally norm-referenced test each year. Until then, families can look at the school's own aid, the 2027 federal scholarship credit, or a participating school nearby.
Church schools in the Dallas area commonly offer member pricing, sibling discounts and congregation-funded sponsorships, and the state's tuition guidelines keep those discounts in place for TEFA families. A school run by a local church may also qualify for the Edu Fund partner scholarship, which has no income cap.
Check my funding for this school →
The school's most recent federal Private School Survey response (2021-22) listed 71 K-12 students, 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 7.9:1 student-teacher ratio and a 180-day school year.
What to ask the school
- Will you be in TEFA for 2027-28, and how do you handle a family that's awarded after the school year starts?
- Which of your fees (registration, books, technology, uniforms, lunch) can be billed to the account?
- What need-based aid, sibling rate or church or parish pricing applies to the balance?
- Do you serve students with an IEP or a learning difference, and what support is included in tuition?
- Which dual-credit partners do you use, and can those course fees come from the account?
Nearby schools with full profiles
- Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep: Parish & Catholic School, grades 9-12, 2.4 mi
- Mesquite Baptist Academy: Christian Day School, grades K-12, 3.8 mi
- St. Philip & St. Augustine Catholic Academy: Parish & Catholic School, grades PK-8, 5.4 mi · TEFA
- First Baptist Academy: Christian Day School, grades PK-12, 6.7 mi · TEFA
- Kids Discovery Academy Inc.: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades PK-1, 8.4 mi
- Bishop Lynch High School: Parish & Catholic School, grades 9-12, 8.5 mi · TEFA
IEP funding for nearby districts
| Home district | TEFA-funded students (Jul 29, 2026) | IEP: speech only (00) | IEP: mainstream (40) | IEP: resource / self-contained (41-44) | IEP: residential facility (81-89) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas ISD | 2,645 | $11,385 | $16,757 | $15,681 | $25,500 |
| Mesquite ISD | 477 | $11,413 | $16,953 | $15,843 | $25,967 |
Totals are the $10,474 base plus the district add-on from the Comptroller's 2026-27 Special Education Funding Table, capped at $30,000. Funded counts come from the TEFA Annual Demographic Report (data as of July 29, 2026); districts with fewer than 30 participants aren't listed in that report. All Dallas-area districts →
We list 26 K-12 private schools in Oak Cliff, West Dallas & Southern Dallas, and 19 of them were in the TEFA finder.