Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
061473576
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New London, CT, USA
Phone
8604471003
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,961,943
Expenses
$6,411,163
Assets
$11,340,468
Liabilities
$3,928,187

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Dr Nicholas Spera (Executive Dir.): $260,371 total reported compensation
  • William Linski (190 Governor Winthrop Blvd.): $151,896 total reported compensation
  • Tanya Collins (Interim Principal): $141,321 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication (ISAAC) is an independent charter school that was founded in 1997. During the 2024-2025 school year, ISAAC expanded to include grade 4, in addition to serving grades 6-8, to identify and address student learning difficulties earlier. This expansion allows for timely interventions, stronger foundational skills, and continuity in instruction, particularly in literacy and math. Early data shows improved reading fluency, comprehension, and student engagement. ISAAC also introduced a flexible classroom approach, promoting student-centered learning through varied seating and collaborative workspaces. Aligned with ISAAC's motto, "Effort Creates Ability and All Students Can Succeed," these practices are supported by a rigorous, teacher-written curriculum, Interim Assessment Blocks, and daily math instruction for sixth graders to close achievement gaps. Partnerships with local organizations and the Anti-Defamation League's "No Place for Hate" prog

What it reported doing in 2024

Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication (ISAAC) is an independent charter school that was founded in 1997. ISAAC serves students in grades six through eight and is the sole charter middle school in New London and southeastern Connecticut. ISAAC provides a safe, nurturing, and diverse middle school that delivers a highly rigorous curriculum that promotes effort through a positive mindset. ISAAC is focused on the motto all students can succeed with hard work and grit. The staff has written curriculum in a new common format and additional programs to identify learning gaps and social disparities to cultivate success for every student. ISAAC is committed to establishing equity for all students in terms of access to technology and transportation and providing engaging after-school programs that reflect cultural and athletic interests. ISAAC enjoys partnerships with local organizations such as the Mystic Seaport, Ivoryton Playhouse, United States Coast Guard Academy, Mitchell College, Project Oceanology, and Mystic Aquarium, to name a few. Furthermore, ISAAC has partnered with the Ant-Defamation League (ADL) to become a No Place for Hate school through its existing advisory program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 99% 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 - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 66
  • Accountability: 80
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.4%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 88.1%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $0.02 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 81.8%; rating input score 82; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: 7.9%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.77; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.4% of revenue deployed · 88.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 11 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $260K · 16 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $490K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 1/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 58/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.