Ask a Fort Smith parent with a child at a parish or church school what keeps them up at night, and you will often hear the same answer: high school. The River Valley has a good set of private elementary and middle schools, and most of them take the Education Freedom Account. But nearly all of them stop before grade 9. Here is what the high school landscape actually looks like for EFA families in Sebastian and Crawford counties, and how to plan for it before eighth grade arrives.
Where the local schools end
Of the participating schools in our Fort Smith directory, only one runs all the way through grade 12:
- Christ the King and Immaculate Conception: pre-K through grade 5
- Trinity Catholic: grades 6 to 8, the middle school for both parish schools
- First Lutheran: pre-K through grade 6
- Harvest Time Academy: pre-K through grade 5
- Joshua Academy in Van Buren: kindergarten through grade 5
- Union Christian Academy: pre-K through grade 12
That means most Fort Smith families who start at a private elementary school will face at least one transition, and often two, before graduation.
Option 1: Union Christian Academy
Union Christian Academy is the River Valley's one participating PK-12 campus. In the state's 2024-25 report it had 212 EFA students out of about 375, and its retention was the strongest in the area: 98% of its EFA students continued in the program the next year and 96% stayed at the school. For a family that wants one school from kindergarten to graduation, it is the obvious place to start the conversation.
If you are planning a move to Union Christian for high school, ask early about space in grade 9. A school that keeps almost all of its families can have fewer openings in the upper grades than its total enrollment suggests.
Option 2: an accredited online high school paid from the account
The EFA is not only for campus tuition. Arkansas's program lets families with a homeschool account spend on curriculum, approved online courses, tutoring, testing and college courses. For a River Valley teenager, that opens up an accredited online high school as the academic core, with local activities around it.
This is where a program like AmFaith, our featured partner, fits. It's an online classical Christian school with published tuition of about $3,000 a year for grades 3 to 12, well under the $7,208 account. That leaves money in the same account for tutoring, testing or a dual-credit course. Before you pay from the account, confirm that any online school is listed as an approved provider in ClassWallet.
Option 3: concurrent and dual-credit courses
The account can pay for approved college courses and fees. For a motivated high-schooler at home or online, that means college credit while still in high school. Ask any local college what concurrent-enrollment courses it offers to homeschool or private-school students, then check that the course is approved in ClassWallet before you register.
Option 4: a school farther away
A few families commute to participating high schools outside the River Valley, or look at boarding programs. The account follows the student to any participating school in Arkansas. Distance makes this impractical for most families, but it's worth knowing the option exists for a student with a specific need.
Planning timeline
- Grade 6 or 7: Decide which of the four paths fits your child. If Union Christian is the plan, visit and ask about grade 9 capacity.
- Fall of grade 8: Apply to your high school. If you're going online, shortlist programs and confirm their ClassWallet approval.
- Spring of grade 8: If your child doesn't already have an account, apply during the state's spring window. For 2026-27 it ran March 9 to June 1. Returning families renew inside ClassWallet.
- Summer: Line up curriculum, tutors or course registrations so the first quarterly deposit, about $1,802, goes to work right away.
What it costs
The 2026-27 account is $7,208 per student ($8,011 for students who came from the former Succeed Scholarship). At Union Christian, the account pays toward tuition and the school invoices ClassWallet. On the online path, the account covers program tuition, and what's left can go to approved extras. Either way, ask for a full price sheet and add up the year before you commit.
Transcripts, sports and college applications
Parents choosing the online or homeschool path for high school usually worry about two things: college admissions and activities. On admissions, colleges routinely accept homeschool and online-school applicants. What they want is a clear transcript, course descriptions, and outside validation such as standardized test scores or college course grades. An accredited online school produces the transcript for you. A homeschool family produces its own, and concurrent college courses help a lot here.
On activities, Arkansas law gives homeschool students a path to take part in interscholastic activities through their resident public school district, subject to eligibility rules. Ask your district and the Arkansas Activities Association about current requirements before you count on a spot. Church youth groups, club sports and community programs fill in the rest for many River Valley families.
See every River Valley school's grades and EFA figures in our Fort Smith directory, or start a funding check and an advisor will map the path for your child.