Circle School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
871155909
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Crotononhudson, NY, USA
Phone
9143938383
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Kindergarten, Preschool, Nursery School, Early Admissions

Reported finances

Revenue
$252,878
Expenses
$265,149
Assets
$109,100
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOANNE DOWNEY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • EVERETT PERRY (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOANNE DOWNEY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $51,421 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide the local community with a preschool that focuses on children's ability to develop friendships, cooperate with peers and teachers, follow directions, develop empathy, collaborate, problem solve, and approach new experiences and challenges with confidence. Our program provides a safe learning environment for children to grow and develop socially, emotionally, physically, and academically through a breadth of fun and engaging activities.

What it reported doing in 2024

We provide a preschool for children two, three and four years of age, monday through friday. Students are afforded ample free play with access to sensory, building, housekeeping, dramatic play, manipulatives, crafts and art supplies, fine motor materials such as playdoh, sand, cutting and writing. Each class spends time outdoors to aid in gross motor development such as climbing, swinging, and balancing, as well as the development of social skills such as turn taking and sharing. We provide a nut-free snack and water daily. The two-, three- and four-year-olds all participate in story time, songs and movement activities and additionally, the three- and four-year-olds participate in circle time which includes routine items such as weather and calendar reports along with activities that correlate with the unit of study (such as seasons, bears, dinosaurs, transportation, holidays, and colors). We maintain a high-quality education at affordable prices with the support of enrolled families. Family members assist in caring for the facility, donating supplies etc.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 84% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 59
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.2%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 61.2%; rating input score 61
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.9%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.41; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.4%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.7% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.2% of revenue deployed · 61.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $162K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $51K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.