Read this before you spend anything: Tennessee restricts which schools can participate, and a newly-formed microschool is frequently not eligible. Confirm your eligibility with the state before buying anything from us or anyone else.
The gate: Eligibility under the state EFS program — and most new microschools are excluded
What the rules actually say
We have not found a single sentence on the official sources that states the requirement cleanly enough to quote, so we are not going to invent one. The sequence below comes from our own state-by-state research, and every source is linked at the bottom for you to read yourself.
The sequence, in order
1. Form the entity + EIN. Establish the school as a TN entity with an EIN; required for TDOE registration and portal disbursements.
2. Achieve Category I, II, or III school status (HARD STATE GATE). EFS funds ONLY reach state-recognized Category I–III schools. A new microschool typically starts as Category IV/V and is INELIGIBLE until it earns Cat I (state approval), Cat II (accreditation), or Cat III (recognized church-related association). This gate can take months to a year — plan for it.
3. Implement staff background checks. Category I approval requires basic health, safety, and staff background-check standards (accreditor rules apply for Cat II/III).
4. Secure a compliant facility (zoning, fire, health, occupancy). Meet local zoning/fire/occupancy; Cat I state approval also examines basic health and safety of operations.
5. Register the school with TDOE for EFS. Once you hold Category I–III status, complete TDOE’s EFS registration by the annual deadline (~April 30 for the following school year).
6. Set up your school account in the EFS portal. Activate your school account to accept funds; TN disburses through its own portal (NOT ClassWallet).
7. Bill tuition & keep compliance records. Funds ~$7,000–$7,300/student, disbursed quarterly, prioritized for tuition/fees. Maintain the required assessment, attendance, and financial records.
Where founders actually stall
Tennessee is the state where the honest answer is usually "not yet". Eligibility is restricted in a way that excludes most brand-new schools, so the gate is not paperwork, it is whether you qualify at all.
What we have not verified
Both Tennessee source URLs failed to respond when we last checked, so we could not re-confirm the current eligibility rules. Treat our summary as a starting point and verify with the state directly.
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
We are not selling Tennessee setup right now
Given what the warning above says, taking your money for a Tennessee setup package today would be wrong. So we are not offering it on this page.
Confirm your position with the state first. If it clears, tell us and we will pick it up from there — or leave your email below and we will let you know when Tennessee reopens.
Free: the Tennessee starter checklist
Free: the Tennessee microschool starter checklist
Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.