STEM Preparatory Schools
Legal name: Stem Preparatory Schools Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 263881506
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA, US
- Phone
- (323) 795-0695
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $27,497,616
- Expenses
- $26,971,720
- Assets
- $37,117,007
- Liabilities
- $19,845,559
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
15 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- EMILIO PACK (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
Highest reported compensation
- EMILIO PACK (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $365,748 total reported compensation
- JANETTE RODRIGUEZ-PACK (CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER): $218,110 total reported compensation
- ERIC BARLOW (CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER): $159,513 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 mission of STEM Prep Schools is to operate a small network of high performing schools, in a targeted area of Los Angeles, develop TK – 12th grade scholars into successful college graduates and professionals, through equal access and inspiration, rigorous curriculum, and a commitment to our core Values.
What it reported doing in 2024
Operation of three (3) public charter schools in the west adams and jefferson park neighborhoods of south la:-stem prep elementary school serving grades tk to 5-crown preparatory academy serving grades 5 to 8-math & science college prep serving grades 9 to 12the vision of stem prep schools is to create a kindergarten through college pipeline of individuals who will transform their community by closing the socio-economic, ethnic, and gender gaps in stem fields, and serving as role models who exhibit scholarliness, advocacy, perseverance, and kindness.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 97% 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
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some related-organization disclosures are missing and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 81
- Transparency & Controls: 83
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 42
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 79.3%; rating input score 79
- Program expense ratio: 80.4%; rating input score 80
- Fundraising efficiency: $3,464.72 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 98; 98th 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: Missing
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- 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: Scored; rating input score 0
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: 1.9%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.38; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.53; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 22.6% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 79.3% of revenue deployed · 80.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $21.7M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $366K · 15 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.6M reported
- Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 8 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Related-party transparency scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 42/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 48/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.