Milton Hershey School and School Trust

What it reported doing in 2024

Program service accomplishments milton hershey school is committed to educating and nurturing the whole child-academically, physically, emotionally, and socially. Thanks to the vision and generosity of milton and catherine hershey, every enrolled student receives comprehensive care and opportunity at no cost to their family. This includes: - high-quality education delivered instate-of-the-artclassrooms with small class sizes, ensuring personal attention and tailored instruction. - the physical, mental, dental, and psychological care of all students. - nutritious meals, clothing, and safe year-round housing, creating consistency and stability that enable students to focus on learning and growth. - robust career and technical education (cte) offerings, college-level coursework, arts and music programs, athletics, agricultural education, and hands-on learning opportunities in authentic work settings. Many childrenenrollingat mhs come from environments shaped by poverty-related stressors. In the 2024-25 school year, new students reportedhigh levelsof adverse childhood experiences (aces), including: - forty-five percent had mental health issues in their family - thirty-seven percent experienced family drug or alcohol issues - thirty-three percent had an incarcerated family member - twenty-five percent witnessed domestic violence - twenty-three percent who attended three or more schools before enrolling - seventeen percent experienced homelessness - fourteen percent who experienced food insecurity these hardships canimpactlearning, emotional well-being, and stability. At mhs, students receive individualized mental health support and a consistent, caring environment-foundational elements that help them build resilience and thrive. Mhs continues to set a national standard for whole child care. During the 2024-25 school year, students benefited from 21,929 nurse/pediatrician visits, 13,127 dental visits and 54,791 dental procedures, 1,535 vision exams and 1,449 pairs of eyeglasses, and 3,137 immunizations administered. This level of care removes barriers, allowing students to focus on academics, extracurriculars, and healthy personal development. From elementary through high school, students engage in age-appropriate career exploration. High school students take part in internships, co-ops, and the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications, supported by partnerships with local organizations including hershey entertainment & resorts, the hershey company, penn state health, and catherine hershey schools for early learning. In 2024-25, mhs students completed1,149 career exposure experiencesand245 authentic work experiences (including internships, co-ops, and pre-apprenticeships) students can explore10 career and technical education(cte)program areasincludingbut not limited tolaw, public safety, and security, computertechnology, agricultureandnatural resources, and educationandhuman services. ------------------- this tuition-free, comprehensive program, including physical care as well as educational programming in academic, home life, and community/career settings, has an annual cost of: total program expenses: 275,394,785 less: line 22 depreciation (37,294,415) line 2 grants (9,551,378) -------------- total expenses 228,548,992 total number of students: 2,157 gaap cost per student - total expenses (part ix line 25) $381,246,771 (total expenses/2,157) = $176,749 total annual cost per student- school and trust total program expenses less depreciation (part ix line 22) and ces grants (part ix line 2) $228,548,992 (total expenses)/2,157 (total number of students) = $105,957 mhs direct cost per student - school only for a premier boarding school such as milton hershey school, the annual investment of more than $105,000 per student includes holistic care, education resources, graduate programs, and more. Milton hershey school assumes the cost for medical, psychological, dental, orthodontic, social work, and prescription care for ea

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 42.6%; rating input score 43
• Program expense ratio: 72.2%; rating input score 72
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 4th 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: 69.8%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 61.8; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.9%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings