During a routine editorial meeting about publicly funded private schools, a simple question sparked a full-blown experiment. An editor wondered what would happen if the reporting team itself tried to set up a private school. The idea grew into a test of the legal thresholds that allow anyone to launch a school, even when public money is involved.
To keep the probe grounded, the journalists partnered with three local media outlets: the Arkansas Times in Arkansas, Mountain State Spotlight in West Virginia, and The Assembly in North Carolina. Using the newsrooms’ physical addresses ensured full transparency; every application listed a newsroom phone number and email, and in one case the team even described themselves as “journalists exploring opening a microschool.” The rule of thumb was clear – no actual students would ever be enrolled.
Arkansas: a $45 filing and a flag requirement
Arkansas proved to be the most straightforward state. The Secretary of State’s office does not regulate private schools, so the only hurdle was a simple online form, a $45 fee, and the odd mandate that every school display an American flag (public schools must also fly the state flag). Within minutes the team received an official certificate confirming the existence of the ProPublica-Arkansas Times Curiosity Academy. However, qualifying for the state’s voucher-like program required accreditation – something the journalists were not prepared to fabricate. Instead, they discovered a loophole: microschools can receive public funds with far fewer requirements. The application for microschool status took about ten minutes, did not ask for credentials or background checks, and was only rejected because it missed the current school-year deadline.
State Education Department spokesperson Kaelin Clay noted that microschool families enjoy “the freedom to choose” where and how children learn, underscoring the minimal oversight that the experiment revealed.
West Virginia: paperwork on notebook paper
In West Virginia the process was almost as informal. The team hand-wrote the required details on a sheet of notebook paper and mailed it to the Department of Education. A state employee explained that, unlike traditional private schools, microschools are not subject to inspections. The only credential needed was proof of at least a high-school diploma; the journalists attached a genuine college transcript from the late 1990s. A department spokesperson confirmed that the agency “does not approve or deny the operation of microschools for any reason, including the qualifications of the owner/operator,” and that no oversight mechanism exists in state law.
This lack of regulatory teeth meant the ProPublica-Mountain State Spotlight Curiosity Academy could be listed officially without any verification of safety, curriculum, or fiscal stability.
North Carolina: the line where public resources meet private curiosity
North Carolina presented the toughest ethical boundary. The newsroom’s co-working space had a fire inspection but no sanitation inspection, both of which were required for a school facility. Editors arranged to use a local brewery—partner of The Assembly—that possessed the necessary inspection reports for a light, lemon-y ale named “Tell the Truth.” When a state official clarified that separate, school-specific fire and sanitation inspections were mandatory, the team halted the effort. Continuing would have meant diverting tax-paid inspectors to serve an experiment, violating the self-imposed rule against using public resources for personal gain.
In the end, the journalists secured domain names and novelty pencils as memorabilia, then closed the placeholder schools to avoid confusing anyone about actual enrollment.
Why the experiment mattered
The project echoed earlier media stunts, such as comedian John Oliver’s 2015 creation of a tax-exempt church to expose loopholes for televangelists, and the 1970s Mirage Tavern operation that uncovered municipal corruption. By publicly filing school paperwork, ProPublica highlighted how the combination of voucher programs, minimal state oversight, and the rise of “microschools” can turn a kitchen table into a tax-eligible educational institution.
Readers who have struggled with voucher programs or have concerns about emerging private-school models are invited to share their experiences, helping the newsroom map the real-world impact of these regulatory gaps.
