TL;DR: Tennessee's August 24, 2026 list of Education Freedom Scholarship schools names 34 in Knox, Blount, Anderson and Sevier counties, 27 of them in Knox County. Thirteen more local campuses hold a category that would let them register but did not, including Clayton-Bradley Academy and Knoxville Montessori School. If your school is not on the list, the $7,530 award cannot pay it this year.
How many Knoxville-area schools are registered for EFS in 2026-27?
Thirty-four schools in the four counties appear on the Tennessee Department of Education's 2026-27 Registered EFS Schools list, out of 290 statewide. Knox County accounts for 27, Blount for four, Sevier for two and Anderson for one. Because River's Edge Christian Academy registers once but runs four campuses, our school directory shows 37 EFS-flagged campus records.
That list is the only one that matters for spending the money. An Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS), Tennessee's universal voucher-style program, pays $7,530 per student for 2026-27, and TDOE releases it only to schools that hold Category I, II or III approval, have a Tennessee campus and registered for the year.
| County | Registered EFS schools | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Knox | 27 | Webb School of Knoxville, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Knoxville Catholic High School, Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Annoor Academy |
| Blount | 4 | Maryville Christian School, Apostolic Christian Academy, Revolution Christian Academy, RIO Christian Academy |
| Sevier | 2 | The King's Academy, Seymour Community Christian School |
| Anderson | 1 | St. Mary School, Oak Ridge |
Which large Knoxville schools are on the list?
Most of the area's biggest private campuses registered. TDOE's 2026-27 directory reports more than 1,000 students each at Berean Christian School, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Grace Christian Academy and Webb School of Knoxville, and all four are on the list. So are Concord Christian, First Baptist Academy in Powell, Temple Baptist Academy, Knoxville Christian School, Paideia Academy and Knoxville Catholic High School.
Nineteen of the registered campuses run through 12th grade. That matters because the award is flat: $7,530 covers a much larger share of a parish K-8 bill than of a college-prep high school bill, and families planning for grades 9 through 12 should line up school aid early.
Every Catholic school in our directory registered, from Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Bearden to St. John Neumann in Farragut, St. Joseph in Fountain City, St. Mary in Oak Ridge and the independent Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow.
Which eligible Knoxville schools did not register for EFS?
Thirteen campuses in the four counties hold a qualifying category in TDOE's 2026-27 directory but were not on the August list. The best known are Clayton-Bradley Academy in Maryville (Category III), Knoxville Montessori School and Garden Montessori School (both Category III), St. Andrew's School in Sevierville and Knoxville Adventist School (both Category II), and the three Primrose preschool franchises in Farragut, Hardin Valley and West Knoxville.
Signing up is voluntary and has to be repeated annually, and TDOE does not say why any school stayed off. If your favorite is among the thirteen, put the 2027-28 question to its admissions office now. The school window opens November 16, 2026 and closes April 30, 2027, and TDOE says it will not take late registrations.
Why can't Category IV schools in Knoxville take EFS?
State law limits EFS to Category I, II and III schools, and Category IV is the approval most church-related schools hold through an association named in Tennessee law. In the four counties, TDOE's directory has 30 records that hold Category IV alone and six that hold Category V alone; none of those can register.
Several schools hold two categories at once. Apostolic Christian School and Seymour Community Christian School hold II and IV, First Baptist Academy holds II, III and IV, and The Episcopal School of Knoxville holds III and IV. Each registered on the strength of its eligible category. For a family at a Category IV-only school, the Individualized Education Account is the one state program that can still pay, and only for a student with a qualifying IEP. Our guide to the five categories explains the rest.
What is a registered school, and what isn't it?
A registered school is one that can accept EFS payments for the 2026-27 year. It is not a promise of admission, a tuition quote or a sign of quality, and registration does not carry over: a school on this year's list must register again for 2027-28.
- It is: a Category I, II or III school with a Tennessee campus that signed up with TDOE for the year.
- It is not: a guarantee that the school has an open seat at your child's grade.
- It is not: a cap on tuition. The school sets its own price, and the family owes anything above the award.
What should Knoxville families do with this list now?
Use it to shortlist schools before the 2027-28 student application opens. TDOE has not posted the 2027-28 dates; last cycle, new applications ran January 13 to January 30, 2026. Have a citizenship document and two current proofs of Tennessee residency ready, and if you are claiming an income priority, the Form 1040 TDOE asks for.
Then check each school's own aid calendar, which can close before the state window opens. Our deadline calendar lists the dates we have confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
How many Knoxville-area schools are registered for EFS in 2026-27?
Thirty-four schools in Knox, Blount, Anderson and Sevier counties are on TDOE's August 24, 2026 list: 27 in Knox, four in Blount, two in Sevier and one in Anderson.
Which large Knoxville schools are on the list?
Berean Christian, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Grace Christian Academy and Webb School of Knoxville, each with more than 1,000 students in TDOE's directory, are registered, along with Knoxville Catholic High School and the area's Catholic elementary schools.
Which eligible Knoxville schools did not register for EFS?
Thirteen campuses with a qualifying category were not on the list, including Clayton-Bradley Academy, Knoxville Montessori School, Garden Montessori School, St. Andrew's School and Knoxville Adventist School.
Why can't Category IV schools in Knoxville take EFS?
Tennessee limits EFS to Category I, II and III schools; Category IV church-related schools can serve IEA students instead.
Related questions
- How much is EFS, and who gets a seat first?
- Why some Knoxville Christian schools can't take EFS
- Private schools in Blount, Sevier and Anderson counties
- Browse all 77 schools with their EFS status
Sources
- TDOE: 2026-27 Registered EFS Schools (updated 8/24/26)
- TDOE: Non-Public Schools Directory 2026-27 (updated 10/30/2026)
- TDOE: EFS Schools and Service Providers
- TDOE: EFS FAQs
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