How the money fits
The Lamplighter School 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.
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 340 K-12 students, 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 7.6:1 student-teacher ratio and a 162-day school year.
Associations (federal survey): National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
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 4: nearby schools that continue
The Lamplighter School ends at grade 4. These schools serve grade 5 through 12 and are among the closest:
- The Hockaday School: grades PK-12, about 0 mi away
- The Winston School: grades K-12, about 1 mi away · in TEFA
- Alcuin School: grades PK-12, about 1 mi away
- Episcopal School of Dallas PK-12: grades PK-12, about 2 mi away
Nearby schools with full profiles
- The Hockaday School: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades PK-12, 0.3 mi
- Grace Academy of Dallas: Christian Day School, grades PK-6, 0.3 mi · TEFA
- Jesuit College Preparatory High School: Parish & Catholic School, grades 9-12, 0.8 mi · TEFA
- Saint Rita Catholic School: Parish & Catholic School, grades PK-8, 0.9 mi · TEFA
- The Winston School: Independent & Nonreligious School, grades K-12, 0.9 mi · TEFA
- Good Shepherd Episcopal School: Christian Day School, grades PK-8, 1.1 mi
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 |
| Highland Park ISD | 33 | $11,441 | $17,144 | $16,002 | $26,425 |
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 20 K-12 private schools in Park Cities, Preston Hollow & Love Field, and 12 of them were in the TEFA finder.