Santa Fe Christian Schools

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
330103052
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Solana Beach, CA, USA
Phone
8587558900
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Primary, Elementary Schools
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$31,821,903
Expenses
$32,626,854
Assets
$70,391,363
Liabilities
$23,642,165

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

Leadership & pay

24 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ROD GILBERT (HEAD OF SCHOOLS): $647,527 total reported compensation
  • KURT DE PFYFFER (CHIEF FINANCIAL/OPERATIONS OFFICER): $362,524 total reported compensation
  • ROB HONMA (CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER): $257,083 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Santa Fe Christian Schools partners with Christian parents within a Bible-based community to disciple students to embrace biblical truth, strive for academic excellence, and model Christ-like leadership—so they can influence their homes, churches, and communities for the Lord Jesus Christ. We are an extraordinary school with incredible teachers, challenging curriculum, outstanding athletics, and exciting missions opportunities. Our rigorous curriculum is taught through a Biblical worldview in a rich community of teachers, coaches, and mentors, all passionate about serving Christ. We are dedicated to expanding minds, building faith, and preparing students to be the Christian leaders of tomorrow. If you share our vision, apply today. To express interest in positions that are not currently open, connect with us through our talent community. View Current Job Openings Our Mission.

What it reported doing in 2024

Santa fe christian schools provides elementary, middle, and high school education for 1,091 students. 423 students were enrolled in the 2024/25 school year in santa fe christian high school. The high school seeks, through the core curriculum, electives, and extracurricular activities, to put students in a position of having the broadest possible range of choices when it comes time to apply to colleges. Bible classes are an essential part of the curriculum at santa fe christian schools, and they are taught from an orthodox, distinctively christian viewpoint.(continued on schedule o)it is our objective to encourage students to look at life with an "eternal perspective." high school students participate in global ministries trips where they are involved in volunteer teaching, minor medical treatment, english practice, and building relationships with communities. The santa fe christian high school was recognized by the us department of education as a national blue ribbon school in 2017. There were 320 middle school students enrolled in santa fe christian schools. The middle school exists to facilitate a smooth transition between the dependence of the elementary school years and the independence of the high school years. We call these the "bridge years." the primary goal for each student is to learn how to learn independently. The academic skills that were taught in the elementary school years are reinforced and built upon in the middle school. The accumulation of knowledge is not worth anything unless one knows how to use it appropriately. Critical thinking skills continue to be developed in each student. In order for education to be complete, it must be based on a standard of truth. The bible is the standard upon which the educational program at sfcs is based. The santa fe christian middle school was recognized by the us department of education as a national blue ribbon school in 2015. There were 348 elementary school students enrolled in santa fe christian schools. The elementary school (k-5) program provides a solid foundation for a lifetime of learning. Our educational philosophy is based on the vision of the school: to seek to honor god by preparing christian leaders of tomorrow to serve the lord jesus christ. While adhering to state standards, sfcs integrates biblical truth in all subject areas. The acquisition of knowledge and development of skills is for the purpose of better equipping our students to be effective christian leaders. The santa fe christian elementary school was recognized by the us department of education as a national blue ribbon school in 2011.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 90% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 86% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.6%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 84.5%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • 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; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 25th 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: -2.5%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.16; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.34; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.5%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 85.6% of revenue deployed · 84.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $27.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $648K · 24 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 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.
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.