Christian schools around Memphis and the category question

Last verified: October 2026

Why can some Memphis Christian schools take EFS while others can't?

It comes down to paperwork, not theology: the school must carry label I, II or III and must have signed up with TDOE for the year. A large share of Memphis congregation schools instead operate under label IV through a church-school association, which relaxes several state requirements and, as a side effect, bars them from EFS and ESA payments.

Schools holding two categories, such as II and IV, can still register on the strength of the eligible one; Central Baptist, Heritage Baptist and Fayette Christian are examples.

How many Christian schools around Memphis are on the EFS list?

30 of the 56 Christian schools we track signed up for EFS in 2026-27. They include large K-12 campuses such as Briarcrest, Evangelical Christian School, Harding Academy and First Assembly, Presbyterian and Episcopal day schools, Lutheran K-8s and smaller academies such as New Hope and Binghampton Christian.

Use the Christian schools hub to filter by community.

If a Memphis church school holds only Category IV approval, where can money come from?

When a school holds label IV and nothing else, a child with a qualifying IEP can still bring IEA dollars, but no other state program applies. Beyond that, the money comes from member pricing, the school's own grants, MOST if the school is a partner, and the Edu Fund Partner Scholarship where the school takes part.

The federal tax-credit scholarship arriving in 2027 is not tied to Tennessee's categories.

What is the next step for a Memphis family?

Spend two minutes on the funding check, and a counselor will call back with the program that fits, its dollar value and the next deadline.

Start the funding check →