The gate: Eligibility and approval under Ark. Code § 6-18-2507, then ClassWallet registration
What the rules actually say
“The department shall maintain a list of service providers determined to be eligible to participate in the program and make the list available on the department’s website.”
— Ark. Code 6-18-2507
The sequence, in order
1. Form the entity + EIN. Register the school as a legal entity with an EIN — required for the DESE application and ClassWallet payouts.
2. Operate as a qualifying Arkansas private school. Employ/contract teachers with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and follow the rules applicable to AR private schools.
3. Obtain or pursue accreditation (STATE GATE). Be accredited by ANSAA or a State-Board-recognized association — or be an associate member of / have applied for accreditation. Core gate for DESE approval.
4. Satisfy the financial-soundness test. If operating under one year, submit a CPA note (insured + sufficient capital) OR file a surety bond/letter of credit equal to one quarter’s funds.
5. Run staff background checks + fingerprinting. Complete criminal background checks and fingerprinting for every employee and retain records for audit.
6. Submit the DESE participating-school application (STATE GATE). File the EFA private-school application with the Office of School Choice & Parent Empowerment and get added to the approved list.
7. Get set up in ClassWallet & invoice. Once DESE-approved, you’re a ClassWallet payee; verify enrollment via the ADE portal and send tuition requests quarterly. EFA students in grades 3-10 take an annual norm-referenced test.
Where founders actually stall
Arkansas keeps a published list of eligible providers. If you are not on it, you are invisible to families holding funds, no matter how good your school is.
What we have not verified
Current accreditation expectations for new schools entering the program.
We would rather say this than guess. Everything above that is stated as fact carries a link to the primary source, so you can check us.
Sources
Get set up in Arkansas
Get set up in Arkansas
Arkansas puts a state approval step in front of the money, so setup here takes more work than in a state without that gate. Both options are one-time. We never take a cut of your tuition.
Launch Kit · $1,450. Your Arkansas playbook: every step in the right order, the document each one needs, and the operator tools (roster, attendance, tuition billing, evidence vault). You do the filing.
Get the Launch Kit · $1,450
Concierge · $2,950. Everything in the Launch Kit, plus we do the ESA-vendor registration with you in a working session, inside Arkansas’s own platform.
Get Concierge · $2,950
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Free: the Arkansas starter checklist
Free: the Arkansas microschool starter checklist
Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.