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In a 2026 investigation, ProPublica journalists worked with local newsrooms to try registering or applying to establish private schools in Arkansas, West Virginia and North Carolina. They said they had no plans to enroll students or operate the schools. Their experiment showed that the process can be surprisingly simple in some circumstances—but it did not establish a universal recipe for opening a school. State rules differed, and registration, facility safety, ongoing obligations and eligibility for public funds were separate questions.
What did the reporters actually do?
The journalists tested real filing processes, rather than merely comparing statutes. Their findings are accounts of their 2026 interactions with state agencies, not current application instructions. The experiment focused on three states and should not be read as a nationwide guide.
Arkansas: registering an entity and exploring public funding
According to ProPublica, the team registered ProPublica-Arkansas Times Curiosity Academy LLC with the Arkansas Secretary of State, listed reporters as agents and officers, and paid a fee. The business was approved the same day. The reporters also bought a small American flag, which the investigation said state law required schools to display. They said the newsroom location they chose was not inspected and that the Arkansas Department of Education did not regulate private schools once open. Those descriptions reflect the investigation’s account; they are not an independent confirmation of current Arkansas law.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIn early September 2026, the team also applied to accept public funds. ProPublica reported that completing the microschool application took about 10 minutes and required two uploads: proposed tuition and fees, and a refund policy. The application was not accepted for the school year then underway. A state employee described possible alternatives as becoming an educational-services vendor or applying as a microschool for the following year. That is a report of the journalists’ interaction, not a promise about present-day eligibility or process.
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West Virginia: a notice and a different microschool path
The reporters submitted a handwritten notice of intent. ProPublica says state staff initially asked for a fire marshal letter for the brick-and-mortar location, after which a state manager suggested considering the microschool route. The journalists say they provided proof of a high-school diploma and notified the local district.
The investigation described West Virginia as lacking a mechanism to oversee microschools and quoted a state Department of Education spokesperson saying the department “does not approve or deny the operation of microschools for any reason, including the qualifications of the owner/operator.” This is the spokesperson’s statement as reported in the investigation, not a substitute for checking current state requirements.
North Carolina: notice does not erase school obligations
The team filed an online notice of intent and used a brewery whose owners agreed to provide access to its fire and sanitation inspections. ProPublica reported that the reporters later received a request for fire and sanitation inspection information. The investigation also noted that operating an actual private school would involve further obligations.
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What requirements apply to conventional private schools in North Carolina?
Current North Carolina Department of Administration guidance covers private elementary and secondary schools enrolling children of compulsory-attendance age. It says covered schools must report identifying details, meet fire and sanitation standards, obtain a certificate of occupancy for school use, and operate for at least nine calendar months. They must keep attendance and immunization records and administer specified standardized tests in grades 3, 6, 9 and 11.
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These are the agency’s requirements for the conventional schools covered by its guidance. The page does not establish that every microschool category follows an identical route. A person considering a school should confirm which category applies and consult the relevant agency requirements directly.
Why the three states are not interchangeable
The experiment illustrates why “start a private school” is not one regulatory question. A filing that creates a business or gives notice may be different from permission to use a facility, compliance with school operating rules, or approval to receive public money. The school’s classification can also affect which path applies.
| State | What the 2026 investigation reported | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Reporters registered an LLC, which was approved the same day; later they explored a microschool application for public funds. | The LLC registration and the funding application were separate steps. The reporters’ account does not establish current law or current funding eligibility. |
| West Virginia | Reporters submitted a handwritten notice, were initially asked for a fire marshal letter for their location, and were told to consider the microschool route. | The department spokesperson’s reported statement concerned whether the department approves or denies microschool operation; it should not be generalized to every school type or other requirements. |
| North Carolina | Reporters filed an online notice and were asked for fire and sanitation inspection information. | Current agency guidance sets multiple requirements for covered conventional private schools, including facility, records and testing obligations. |
What do the school counts and funding figures mean?
ProPublica’s October 2026 investigation supplied these figures as context for the activity it was examining. They are reporting snapshots, not current totals or guaranteed future benefits.
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- Arkansas had more than 220 private schools on record, compared with fewer than 100 in 2023, according to ProPublica.
- ProPublica reported that 143 Arkansas microschools were approved to accept tax dollars that year, up from about 100 the prior school year.
- The investigation described Arkansas Education Freedom Account funding of $7,208 per student for the school year discussed; that was the amount each student was eligible for that year.
- ProPublica reported roughly $5,400 per student through West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship.
- The investigation said at least 169 new private schools had opened in North Carolina since the 2021–22 school year.
School counts and program amounts can change. None of these figures should be treated as a present-day count, rate or guarantee without checking the current program and agency information.
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What the experiment does—and does not—show
It shows that journalists with no plan to teach or enroll children could get through some initial filing steps, and that the steps and agency responses varied considerably by state and school category. It also shows why a quick registration or application should not be confused with a fully compliant, operating school.
It does not show that schools can be opened safely or lawfully everywhere with the same paperwork, that every microschool is exempt from oversight, or that filing automatically qualifies an operator for public funds. The ProPublica account is a useful window into three states’ processes in 2026; current requirements should be verified with the responsible state agencies before anyone acts.
Quick Recap
Sources
- ProPublica’s investigation, published October 2, 2026
- North Carolina Department of Administration: Private Schools
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