Cogito Academies
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 922038559
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2024–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2023
- Location
- Columbia, SC, USA
- Phone
- 8645806171
- Rating
- 32
- Verdict
- REVIEW
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $259,415
- Expenses
- $2,320,570
- Assets
- $10,592,765
- Liabilities
- $12,653,921
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
8 people listed
People named in this filing
- DR WENDY REGOECZI (BOARD CHAIR)
- MICHAEL BELTON (BOARD MEMBER)
- JARED EVANS (BOARD MEMBER)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
At cogito academy, we follow a classical approach to education, a time-tested model that focuses on cultivating knowledge, critical thinking, and strong character. Classical education prepares students not just for school, but for a lifetime of thoughtful, meaningful engagement with the world.students learn through rich literature, meaningful discussion, and structured instruction from knowledgeable teachers. Core subjects--including language arts, history, science, mathematics, and the arts--are taught in ways that help students make connections across topics, develop deeper understanding, and engage with ideas that have shaped our world.
What it reported doing in 2024
2024-2025 was a pre-operational year for the school. The school intends to open in fy26 and enroll k4 to fifth grade.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 71% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
- 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
REVIEW - The filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 2
- Transparency & Controls: 90
- Accountability: 12
- Sustainability: 31
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 2.8%; rating input score 3
- Program expense ratio: 0.4%; rating input score 0
- 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: Limited
- Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: -794.5%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.56; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.19; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 2.8% of revenue deployed · 0.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 2 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $8K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
- Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $4M reported
- Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 3/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
- High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 4/100.