Prototype v1 — dev build for design review. School records are reproduced from the Texas TEFA finder and the NCES Private School Survey (October 9, 2026); phone number and partner-fund terms are placeholders.
Independent & Secular Schools · Memorial, Galleria & Spring Branch

Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy (Digital Learning School)

Independent & Secular School serving grades K-12 in Houston (Memorial, Galleria & Spring Branch). Participates in TEFA. Funding fit, public records and questions to ask are below.

Verified against two public records. TEFA participation is checked against the Texas Education Freedom Accounts participating-school finder (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts), retrieved October 9, 2026. Enrollment, teachers, religious orientation and associations come from the NCES Private School Survey (U.S. Department of Education) (2023-24, or 2021-22 where noted). Tuition is not reported to either — confirm it with the school.

Funding fit for Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy (Digital Learning School)

$10,474
TEFA private-school award, 2026-27 — the same at every grade served here (K-12)
$15,870 to $16,986
Typical TEFA total with an IEP for a Spring Branch ISD resident (resource/self-contained to mainstream codes)
$2,000
TEFA homeschool/other tier, for comparison, if a family chooses a hybrid or homeschool option instead

Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy (Digital Learning School) appears in the Texas Comptroller's TEFA participating-school finder (checked October 9, 2026). A Houston-area student who holds a Texas Education Freedom Account can use it here. For 2026-27 that is $10,474 per student, deposited 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1 and 50% on February 1, and paid to the school through the Odyssey platform. To participate, a school must be accredited by a TEPSAC-recognized organization or TEA, have operated at least two school years, and give an annual norm-referenced test in grades 3-12.

The school reports special education services or a learning-differences focus. A TEFA student with an IEP on file can receive more than the standard award. For a Spring Branch ISD resident, that is roughly $15,870 to $16,986 for regular-campus IEP settings, capped at $30,000.

Independent schools set their own need-based aid. A school may weigh a TEFA award when it decides aid, but it may not charge a TEFA family a different tuition.

Check my funding for this school →

“Knowledge-First employs a 4-day academic week with 5th day used for enriching, extra-curricular and engaging activities. Students are taught "How to Learn" not just "What to Learn." Positive behavior and learning is reinforced through student motivation.”
— description the school provided to the TEFA finder

Programs the school reported to the state finder

Project-Based LearningSTEM/STEAMCollege PrepVocational/Career TechOne-on-One TutoringMath SpecialistsSpecial Education ServicesSpeech TherapyAfter-School Academic HelpSummer School ProgramsSports ProgramsClubs & ActivitiesRobotics/CodingDebate/SpeechField Trips & Travel OpportunitiesAfter School ProgramsCharacter EducationSocial-Emotional LearningCommunity Service FocusTechnology AccessSmall Class SizesExtended School Day/YearUniforms/Dress Code

Discounts reported to TEFA: Scholarships Available, Sliding Scale Tuition, Sibling Discounts.

Questions to ask this school

  1. Do you participate in TEFA, and are you confirming enrollments for families awarded in the next cycle?
  2. What is tuition for my child's grade, and which fees (registration, books, technology, uniforms, lunch) can be paid from the TEFA account?
  3. Which discounts do you offer (sibling, church member, employee), and what need-based aid is available for the balance?
  4. Will you accept the TEFA payment schedule (25% July, 25% October, 50% February), or do you need a deposit from personal funds?
  5. Which IEP settings and diagnoses do you have room for right now? Do you bill on-campus therapies as school fees?
  6. For high school: which dual-credit partners do you use, and can those course fees come from the account?

TEFA with an IEP: what it's worth near Houston

Home districtTEFA-funded students (Jul 29, 2026)IEP: speech only (00)IEP: mainstream (40)IEP: resource / self-contained (41-45)IEP: residential facility (81-89)
Spring Branch ISD312$11,418$16,986$15,870$26,046
Houston ISD3327$11,393$16,818$15,731$25,645

Totals = $10,474 base + the district add-on from the Comptroller's 2026-27 Special Education Funding Table, capped at $30,000. Funded counts: TEFA Annual Demographic Report (data as of July 29, 2026). All Houston-area districts →

Private schools near Knowledge-First Empowerment Academy (Digital Learning School)

We list 42 K-12 private schools in Memorial, Galleria & Spring Branch, and 23 of them participate in TEFA. See all of them →

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