How the funding fits
$7,105–$10,540
Every Arizona K-12 student can open an Empowerment Scholarship Account. For the grades Thunderbird Christian Elementary School serves, ADE's latest chart gives $4,718–$6,205 (K) and $7,105–$10,540 (grades 1-12); that chart is labeled 2025-26 (ADE estimate; the 2026-27 chart isn't posted yet), and the exact figure depends on grade and the funding formula for the school the child would otherwise attend. The account can pay tuition at a qualified private school that is set up as a ClassWallet vendor. The state keeps no list of schools that take ESA payments, so ask Thunderbird Christian Elementary School directly.
Takes STO scholarships from: APESF, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona (per each STO's published school list, Oct 2026). Each STO decides its own awards, so apply to every one on this list that fits; appearing on a list is not a promise of money. Remember that a child on an ESA contract cannot take an STO scholarship that same year, so this is a choice, not an extra.
Many Valley Christian schools discount tuition for members of the sponsoring church and work with ACSTO or AZTO; ask which of those STOs its families use.
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What the records show
The U.S. Department of Education's Private School Survey (2023-24) shows the school reporting 96 students, 6.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio and grades K-8, with a Seventh-Day Adventist religious orientation.
Questions for your visit
- Are you a ClassWallet vendor, and will you bill our ESA directly each quarter?
- What is tuition for my child's grade, and which fees can the ESA cover?
- Which STOs do your families use, and when do their applications open?
- Do you offer parishioner, church-member, sibling or need-based discounts?
After grade 8: nearby schools that keep going
Thunderbird Christian Elementary School ends at grade 8. These schools serve grade 9 through 12 and are among the closest of the same tradition:
- Thunderbird Adventist Academy: grades 9-12, about 0 mi away · 4 STO lists
- Sierra Academy of Scottsdale: grades 2-12, about 3 mi away · 1 STO lists
- Scottsdale Christian Academy: grades PK-12, about 3 mi away · 5 STO lists
- Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory: grades PK-12, about 6 mi away · 6 STO lists
Nearby schools with profiles
- Thunderbird Adventist Academy: Christian School, grades 9-12, 0.1 mi · 4 STO lists
- Pardes Jewish Day School: Jewish & Islamic School, grades K-8, 0.4 mi · 5 STO lists
- Brightmont Academy: Independent School, grades 1-12, 1.8 mi · 2 STO lists
- Blessed Sacrament Preschool & Kindergarten: Catholic School, grades K, 1.9 mi · 1 STO lists
- Chaparral Christia Community Schools: Christian School, grades K-6, 2.2 mi · 3 STO lists
- Scottsdale Child Care and Learning Center: Christian School, grades PK-K, 2.5 mi
We list 44 private schools in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley & Fountain Hills, and 36 of them are on at least one STO school list.