Phoenix Academy
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 812964842
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017
- Location
- North Branch, MN, USA
- Phone
- 6512370656
- Rating
- 74
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Charter Schools
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,580,664
- Expenses
- $2,261,648
- Assets
- $1,493,561
- Liabilities
- $1,125,885
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
8 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JAMES GAGNER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- JAMES GAGNER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $109,872 total reported compensation
- LYNETTE PEGO (MEMBER/TEACHER): $58,037 total reported compensation
- JESSICA BEUNING (MEMBER/TEACHER): $50,914 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The phoenix academy of art and science school program has been developed on research- backed foundational teaching and learning practices and with the intent of offering a curriculum that is more experiential and personally appealing to students. Phoenix academy is a comprehensive tuition-free public k-8 school offering a rigorous academic program while integrating the visual and performing arts. Phoenix academy is a unique learning environment with smaller classrooms, lower student to teacher ratios, and a hands-on approach to teaching and learning. Phoenix academy students receive all necessary academic support, and participate in advanced learning opportunities during enrichment hour classes that take place each semester or trimester.
What it reported doing in 2024
The phoenix academy of art and science is a public charter school that is tuition free and serves students in grades k-6. The phoenix academy of art and science has an emphasis in art and science to enhance the overall learning experience of the students and develop more creative and well-rounded students. During fy2025 there were 157 students enrolled.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 98% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
- 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 66
- Transparency & Controls: 90
- Accountability: 67
- Sustainability: 44
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 70.7%; rating input score 71
- Program expense ratio: 80.5%; rating input score 81
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 71.4%; rating input score 71; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 12.4%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.75; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 9.7%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 12.3% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 21.3% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 24.7% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 70.7% of revenue deployed · 80.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.8M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $110K · 8 people listed
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $120K reported
- Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 4 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.