Old Trail School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
340737805
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bath, OH, USA
Phone
3306661118
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Primary, Elementary Schools

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,286,887
Expenses
$12,742,679
Assets
$27,683,838
Liabilities
$2,565,041

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

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THOMAS H EATON III (PRESIDENT)
  • SUSAN MCKENZIE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MEETA NOSRATI (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH JOHNSTON (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $334,913 total reported compensation
  • W JOSEPH VOGEL (ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL): $168,542 total reported compensation
  • MEETA NOSRATI (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $167,666 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Old trail school is a vibrant educational community focused on academic excellence. We develop intellectually curious, independent thinking students who emerge with a passion for discovery, critical thinking and collaborative learning. Our graduates are well prepared to become responsible global citizens who achieve in high school, college and life.

What it reported doing in 2024

Old trail school is an independent, coeducational day school for children age 2 through grade 8 in bath, Ohio. As the nation's only independent school located in a national park, we offer a transformative academic experience that develops intellectually curious, independent thinking students who emerge with a passion for discovery, critical thinking and collaborative learning. Our graduates leave campus well prepared to become responsible global citizens who achieve in high school, college and life. Served 430 students in early childhood through grade eight.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 87% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 83% 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

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77.7%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 75.2%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: -3.7%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.17; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.2%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.6% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 77.7% of revenue deployed · 75.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $9.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $335K · 28 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $735K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 41/100.