Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 223568322
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Clifton, NJ, USA
- Phone
- 9732787707
- Rating
- 79
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $3,742,962
- Expenses
- $2,642,488
- Assets
- $4,598,798
- Liabilities
- $1,051,246
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
11 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- ORAN BULLEN (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- BERNADETTE PINTO (SBA/BOARD SE): $108,476 total reported compensation
- GREGORY FARLEY (LEAD PERSON): $105,114 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 classical academy charter school of clifton's (the "charter school") mission is to blend core traditional learning foundations and modern day educational initiatives to create a progressive learning environment. Through the fusion of a curriculum deeply rooted in humanities and liberal arts and our comprehensive mathematics and science program, classical academy strives to foster not only scholastic achievements but also the growth of our students as future leaders through the infusion of core values and positive social learning experiences.
What it reported doing in 2024
Classical academy charter school of clifton provides a full range of educational services appropriate to grades 6-8. These services include regular, as well as special education and basic skills instruction. The charter school completed the 2024-2025 school year with an enrollment of 183 students. The classical academy charter school of clifton's three year academic program in grades 6, 7, and 8 and its practices and policies continue to prove highly effective in producing high student learning. The classical academy charter school of clifton has produced outstanding results, consistently at the highest levels, is not a subjective appraisal. In 2008 the federal dept. Of education honored the school with a "national blue ribbon school of excellence award (only the 2nd New Jersey public charter school in 16 years to be so honored); in 2012 the New Jersey dept. Of education designated the classical academy charter school of clifton a 'reward' school, its designation for high-achieving public schools, charter and traditional; and in 2013, the 'national new campaign for achievement now' (njcan), a citizens education action group, recognized the classical academy charter school of clifton with its 'top ten' awards: one award for being a top ten nj school for educating 'low income students- and another 'top ten' award for educating to high levels 'latino students', and one for overall excellence in middle-school education. In 2018, classical academy was granted an enrollment increase for the 2019-2020 school year by an additional sixty students. Classical academy charter school of clifton is an active member of the junior national honor society and has provided families with an after school program and summer program that build the whole child.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 82% 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 and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 57
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 65
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 54.9%; rating input score 55
- Program expense ratio: 79.1%; rating input score 79
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 63rd 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: 29.4%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.74; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 54.9% of revenue deployed · 79.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2.1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $108K · 11 people listed
- Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 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: Mission deployment rate scored 55/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.