States Let Anyone Start Private Schools

Journalists registering test schools in three states found that forming a private or microschool often requires only a short online form, a small fee (Arkansas: $45), and minimal proof of qualifications. Regulators seldom asked about educators' experience, curriculum, or learning-measurement plans, and in at least one case officials flagged routes to accept public voucher funds. — If states make it easy to set up minimally regulated private schools while enabling public funding, oversight gaps could affect education quality, public spending integrity, and equity across thousands of new providers.