Breakthrough Montessori Public Charter School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
473267901
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2028641979
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Charter Schools

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,244,404
Expenses
$11,933,883
Assets
$20,986,549
Liabilities
$20,709,695

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • EMILY HEDIN (EXEC DIR -): $145,628 total reported compensation
  • MARIA CARVAJAL (PRINCIPAL): $142,936 total reported compensation
  • INO OKOAWO (DIR. OF OPER): $140,794 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of breakthrough montessori public charter school is to provide families in Washington, dc with a fully implemented, public montessori program that enables children to develop within themselves the power to shape their lives and the world around them.

What it reported doing in 2024

Montessori is a highly-structured and student-centered approach to education. In the montessori classroom, students receive lessons one-on-one or in small groups with their teachers. They explore different skills and concepts by working with hands-on materials that respond to their developmental needs. These materials are sequenced progressively and enable students to independently move through the curriculum at their own pace. Breakthrough montessori offers 7 primary classrooms for students in pre- kindergarten 3 through kindergarten, 5 lower elementary classrooms for students in grades 1-3, and 3 upper elementary classrooms for students in grades 4-6.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 91% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.5%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 89.6%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.5%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.76; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.99; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 20.9% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.6% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.3% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.5% of revenue deployed · 89.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $10.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $146K · 16 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.2M reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.