by Jennifer Smith Richards, Megan O’Matz, Mollie Simon and Jennifer Berry Hawes
Co-published with Arkansas Times, Mountain State Spotlight, and The Assembly
July 16, 2026, 5:00 am
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Reporting Highlights

  • Private Schools, Public Money: Friendly state legislatures are steering money to private schools, catalyzing huge growth in recent years with far-reaching consequences.
  • Minimal Oversight: States examined by ProPublica have little interest in overseeing the schools: not who runs them, what they teach or how they perform.
  • Troubling Backgrounds: In Florida, a public school teacher lost her license and was prosecuted over sexual abuse of a minor, but now she runs a private school.