5 October 2026
How ProPublica Reporters Became Private School Owners in 24 Hours

The only requirement to open a private school in Arkansas is displaying a flag and flagpole, so the reporting team visited the local flag shop in Little Rock. Brian Chilson/Arkansas Times It began as a casual question — and a flicker of curiosity — uttered during a meeting of ProPublica journalists who this year are reporting on publicly funded private schools. We were discussing how, in many states, basically anyone can open a private school wherever they want. No experience, no training, no curriculum required. One of our editors jumped in and asked: What if ProPublica tried to establish a private school?
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