Adsi

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
753099783
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Phone
5126740700
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Charter Schools

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,082,373
Expenses
$3,976,444
Assets
$7,711,999
Liabilities
$7,428,394

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • IDA LESA ANDERSON 72023-62024 (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $31,894 total reported compensation
  • MICHELE HANLON STARTED 62024 (INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL): $31,563 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Austin discovery school is an academically rigorous public charter school dedicated to building compassion, collaboration, and critical thinking by engaging students with the natural world.

What it reported doing in 2023

In the 2023-2024 school year, austin discovery school served 243 students in grades k-6 through our innovative programming including rigorous, hands-on academics, eco-wellness and comprehensive social-emotional support. In our eco-wellness program, students learned environmental stewardship, gardening skills, and how to tend to our resident farm animals. Austin discovery's social-emotional learning program supported students with an identified need in developing self-regulation and coping skills. All ads teachers were trained in conscious discipline as part of our social-emotional learning program.our aftercare program provided free or low-cost care to around 30 of our most vulnerable families by providing a safe, supportive environment for play, exploration, and outdoor learning experiences after the school day ended.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 86% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and liabilities are high compared with assets.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -29%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.94; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.96; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.6%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 85.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $32K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.