How the money fits
Bridge Builder Academy was listed as a participating school in the state's TEFA finder on October 12, 2026. That means a student with an Education Freedom Account can put the 2026-27 award of $10,474 toward tuition here. The state pays the school directly through Odyssey: a quarter on July 1, another quarter on October 1, and the remaining half on February 1.
This school says it offers special-education services or focuses on learning differences. A TEFA student whose IEP is on file with TEA gets a bigger account here: for a family living in Garland ISD, roughly $15,833 to $16,941 in the regular-campus IEP settings, never more than $30,000.
An independent school sets its own aid policy. It may factor a TEFA award into a need-based aid decision, but it can't charge a TEFA family a different tuition from everyone else.
Check my funding for this school →
“At Bridge Builder Academy, we believe every student has potential—sometimes it’s just been buried in the wrong learning environment. The students who come to us have different needs, but one shared frustration: being boxed in by a system that doesn’t see what’s possible. We teach children with Learning Differences…”
The school's description in the TEFA finder
The school's most recent federal Private School Survey response (2023-24) listed 24 K-12 students, 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 1.4:1 student-teacher ratio, 33% of the previous year's graduates going on to four-year colleges and a 182-day school year.
Programs reported to the state
Discounts reported to TEFA: Scholarships Available, Sibling Discounts.
Associations (federal survey): State/regional independent school association (e.g., ISAS).
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 IEP settings and needs do you have room for, and do you bill on-campus therapy as a school fee?
- Which dual-credit partners do you use, and can those course fees come from the account?
Nearby schools with full profiles
- Mesorah High School for Girls: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades 9-12, 0.3 mi · TEFA
- Dallas International School: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades PK-12, 1.0 mi · TEFA
- All Saints Catholic School: Parish & Catholic School, grades PK-8, 1.3 mi · TEFA
- Ann & Nate Levine Academy: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades PK-8, 1.9 mi
- Torah Day School of Dallas: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades K-8, 1.9 mi · TEFA
- Texas Torah Institute: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades 9-12, 2.3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garland ISD | 1,021 | $11,411 | $16,941 | $15,833 | $25,939 |
| Richardson ISD | 752 | $11,404 | $16,893 | $15,794 | $25,824 |
| Mesquite ISD | 477 | $11,413 | $16,953 | $15,843 | $25,967 |
| Wylie ISD | 355 | $11,454 | $17,210 | $16,098 | $26,663 |
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 28 K-12 private schools in Richardson, Garland, Mesquite & Rowlett, and 21 of them were in the TEFA finder.