Valley Christian School System

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
951803684
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Cerritos, CA, USA
Phone
5628600556
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Primary, Elementary Schools
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$27,009,563
Expenses
$21,866,808
Assets
$22,702,702
Liabilities
$8,392,122

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • WESLEY TURNBOW (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TROY STAHL (SUPERINTENDENT): $250,541 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTOPHER BECHER (HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL): $207,364 total reported compensation
  • RHONDA VAN KAMPEN (ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL): $200,050 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

In the light of the lordship of jesus christ and the authority of god's word, we will educate each unique student in cooperation with the christian community so that he or she is equipped and inspired to make a difference for jesus christ in the world.

What it reported doing in 2024

Valley christian school system (vcss) is a private, coeducational christian school located near the border of los angeles and orange county. The school (preschool - 12th grade) was founded in 1935 by parents from reformed churches and is operated by a society of parents and interested parties drawn from churches adhering to the reformed theology. Students come from a geographical radius of approximately 25 miles and attend over 200 different churches. The student ethnic composition is approximately 40% caucasian and 60% other ethnicities. At valley christian our mission is to educate the whole student: academically, spiritually, and physically. (continued on schedule o)our mission is: in the light of the lordship of jesus christ and the authority of god's word, we will educate each unique student in cooperation with the christian community so that he or she is equipped and inspired to make a difference for jesus christ in the world. Our students benefit from many opportunities that prepare them for leadership through programs in art, music, sports, service, and academics. We offer avenues of service to develop habits and patterns of servanthood. Each student is required to perform community service. Each week, time is set aside at each campus to worship as a body. Valley christian school system is accredited by the western association of schools and colleges.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 77% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 87% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and liabilities are high compared with assets.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 59
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.7%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 82.6%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $30.36 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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: 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: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 19%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.04; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.7% of revenue deployed · 82.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $18.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $251K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $3.3M reported
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 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: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.
  • Review — Grant Readiness: California registration: this organization could not be resolved against the register, so the check is unfinished.