The Webb School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
620401875
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Bell Buckle, TN, United States
Phone
9313899322
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Secondary, High School

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$20,583,777
Expenses
$22,504,235
Assets
$65,069,205
Liabilities
$20,039,461

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • KENNETH CHEESEMAN (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $419,391 total reported compensation
  • JAMES CALLIS (ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL): $251,646 total reported compensation
  • NICOLE TAUCARE (ASST HEAD FOR ACADEMIC & ARTS): $159,115 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

For over 150 years The Webb School has been guided by a singular mission: “to turn out young people who are tireless workers , and who know how to work effectively ; who are accurate scholars ; who know the finer points of morals and practice them in their daily living ; who are always courteous [without the slightest trace of snobbery]”. Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Director of Athletics, the Director of Health and Human Performance, the Athletics Department, and the School's mission Requirements A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is expected. Cultivate Growth Mindsets:** Support students of all skill levels in becoming curious, resilient, and self-directed learners who take ownership of their artistic and personal growth. Collaborate Across Campus:** Partner with colleagues in the Fine Arts department and across disciplines to enrich...

What it reported doing in 2024

The webb school has a 155-year history of excellence in shaping the minds and characters of students in grade 6-12. Our small private boarding school community is comprised of 419 day and boarding students from 17 countries and 11 states. We emphasize independent thinking, creative initiative, personal integrity, and civic responsibility. A challenging academic curriculum includes webb's signature emerging voices program, which teaches students the value of public speaking and writing. Webb's extensive outdoor program, competitive athletic teams, and travel abroad opportunities, also help prepare graduates for college and for life. Webb awards about $5 million in financial aid and scholarships to deserving students thanks to the generous support of alumni, family and friends of the school.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 80% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 73% for direct work, and 27% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • 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: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 29th 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: -9.3%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.89; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.4% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 85.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 23 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $19.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $419K · 27 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.1M reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.