How the money fits
The Kessler School 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 also enrolls pre-K students. TEFA funds a 3- or 4-year-old at the full award only if the child meets a free pre-K criterion, for example free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, limited English, foster care history, or a parent who teaches in a Texas public school. From kindergarten on, any eligible child can be funded.
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 →
The school's most recent federal Private School Survey response (2023-24) listed 100 K-12 students, 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 3.8:1 student-teacher ratio and a 172-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?
- Are you an approved TEFA pre-K provider, and do you take child care assistance for after-care?
After grade 8: nearby schools that continue
The Kessler School ends at grade 8. These schools serve grade 9 through 12 and are among the closest:
- Bishop Dunne Catholic High School: grades 6-12, about 3 mi away · in TEFA
- Cafe Momentum Academy: grades 9-12, about 4 mi away · in TEFA
- Compass Virtual Academy: grades 9-12, about 4 mi away · in TEFA
- Nfc Academy: grades K-12, about 4 mi away · in TEFA
Nearby schools with full profiles
- Momentous School: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades PK-5, 1.6 mi · TEFA
- Casa de Paz Montessori: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades PK-3, 1.9 mi
- St. Mary of Carmel School: Parish & Catholic School, grades PK-8, 2.3 mi · TEFA
- Mount St. Michael Catholic School: Parish & Catholic School, grades PK-8, 2.5 mi · TEFA
- Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy: Parish & Catholic School, grades PK-8, 2.7 mi · TEFA
- West Dallas Community School: Christian Day School, grades PK-8, 3.3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.