Council of the Great City Schools

What it reported doing in 2024

General membership services this is the combined organizational services of the council of the great city schools, including legislation, communications, research, academic achievement, task forces, and management services. In each of these areas, the council conducted over 1,000 regular zoom calls to connect member district staff to peers and support during the year.continued on page 46legislation--the council helps shape legislation to strengthen the quality of schooling for the nation's urban children by providing information to federal agencies and to the membership on federal activity. In 2024-25, the council-- - successfully lobbied against federal education funding cuts in fiscal year 2025, withstanding threats that included strict budget spending caps and a house appropriations proposal to cut title i by 25% and eliminate funding for teacher effectiveness and english learner programs. - advocated for the immediate release of over $6 billion in federal education funding that the white house and u.s. Department of education withheld from states and school districts prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year. - provided detailed briefings to cgcs school boards, superintendents, and other senior district officials immediately following the november 2024 elections on the education priorities of the incoming administration and the potential implications for federal funding, medicaid reimbursements, private school voucher proposals, and immigration action at school locations. - compiled and drafted resources for council member legal departments on responding to requests by u.s. Immigration and customs enforcement (ice) to access school grounds and ice enforcement authority at schools. - established a working group of general counsels to develop a legal risk assessment matrix to be used by council member legal departments in evaluating title vi programs. - briefed member district chief information officers on the application requirements for the federal communications commission's cybersecurity pilot program for k-12 schools. Submitted comments to the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency to strengthen reporting requirements and help school districts address growing cybersecurity needs. - filed an amicus brief in the u.s. District court of Colorado case denver public schools v. Noem, asserting that immigration and customs enforcement (ice) activities should not occur in "protected areas like schools.- joined amicus briefs filed in in the u.s. Supreme court cases: Oklahoma statewide charter school board v. Drummond (religious charter schools); a.j.t. V. Osseo area schools, independent school district no. 279 (standard for section 504 discrimination); federal communications commission v. Consumers' research (e-rate funding); and mahmoud v. Taylor (curriculum opt-outs on religious grounds). - provided regular updates to council member legal departments on u.s. Supreme court and federal court cases affecting education. - provided updates to council member legal departments, federal program directors, and other district leaders on new guidance, interpretations, and compliance requirements issued by the u.s. Departments of education, health and human services, homeland security, and justice, as well as various white house executive orders affecting education. - co-hosted legal webinars for council districts with the law firm husch blackwell on the impact of federal immigration policy shifts on public school districts and the u.s. Department of education's dear colleague letter on race in education. - consulted with experts in the d.c. Legal community to explore options for council member districts regarding the department of education's withholding of federal title funds, cancellation of grant funds, and revocation of waivers extending funds liquidation. - initiated multiple discussions and fielded dozens of questions from member district superintendents, chief financial officers, federal program directors, and other l

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 73.8%; rating input score 74
• Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72
• Fundraising efficiency: $97.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 92.2%; rating input score 92; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 1.9%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.01; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 16.7%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings