Link Community Charter School
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 465614487
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2016–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Newark, NJ, USA
- Phone
- 9736420529
- Rating
- 73
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Primary, Elementary Schools
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $8,826,640
- Expenses
- $8,485,282
- Assets
- $2,349,886
- Liabilities
- $3,563,054
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- MARIA PILAR PARADISO (HEAD OF SCHO): $176,484 total reported compensation
- LESLIE BAYNES (COO): $140,150 total reported compensation
- HANNAH KENNEDY (PRINCIPAL): $137,835 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Link community charter school will provide an outstanding elementary and middle school education for learners of all academic abilities by developing the mind, body, and spirit through a strong curriculum, experiential learning, immersion in the arts, and an enduring commitment to core values. This will allow them to be successful in competitive high schools and become responsible and resourceful citizens who give back to others.
What it reported doing in 2024
The charter school provides a full range of educational services appropriate to kindergarten, grades 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 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 341 students. Next year, the charter school will complete its grade level expansion as it continues working towards full enrollment. By every indicator, the charter school is a successful young charter school with great promise for the future. With a focus on core values, a strong academic program, and vibrant enrichment opportunities, the charter school is armed with a strong board, experienced staff, a well-developed mission, and a 56 year legacy of service to newark and the surrounding cities.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 73% 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. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 62
- Transparency & Controls: 74
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 29
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 68.9%; rating input score 69
- Program expense ratio: 71.6%; rating input score 72
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Missing
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- 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: 3.9%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.28; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.52; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 68.9% of revenue deployed · 71.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $6.1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $176K · 14 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.4M reported
- Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
- 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 8/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.