Walnut Grove Christian School

What it reported doing in 2024

Founded in 2001, walnut grove christian school (wgcs) is rooted in the belief of nurturing each student in a small christian learning environment. Our board is committed to a low student-teacher ratio with a goal of 14:1 in elementary school grades and 15:1 in middle and high school grades. Wgcs is a kindergarten through 12th grade school with honors and college preparatory classes offered at the high school level. All k-8th graders take part in a focused, formal music and drama program where each student may showcase their god-given skills and talents. School runs on a monday to thursday schedule, encouraging holistic growth through our four pillars: academics, faith, relationships and optimizing our time and schedule all to honor and glorify god. Wgcs is accredited by: South Carolina association of christian schools (scacs) and national council for private schools accreditation (ncpsa). Our students' standardized test scores average 1.5 grade levels higher than the national average. Athletics: 70% of wgcs students 5th-12th grades participate in our athletic programs the goal of wgcs athletics is to encourage students to grow spiritually and develop athletically as they learn life lessons through wgcs sports. Our journey of faith: wgcs began humbly in 2000, moving to charlotte in 2005. Despite numerous challenges and a financial crisis in 2008, faith and community support led us through difficult times. Each trial strengthened us, as god's provision taught us reliance on him. New beginnings: a pivotal moment came in 2011 when a board member felt called to explore a building that had previously caught our interest. Miraculously, it became available at auction. Through faith and perseverance, we acquired our new home in 2012. By 2021, we recognized the need for expansion to accommodate even more students eager to thrive in our supportive environment. Thanks to the strive capital campaign and the generous backing of our wgcs community, this dream became a reality through gods blessings. Looking ahead: at walnut grove, we believe that nurturing our staff and teachers is key to attracting the very best for our students. As we embark on a new decade, our school is perfectly positioned for growth, dedicated to empowering children within a supportive and nurturing environment rooted in gods love. We are excited about the bright future ahead and invite families to join us in this enriching journey, where together we can embrace the countless blessings that await our children. Walnut grove, where your child's potential is our priority, and their success is our mission.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 89.7%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 88%; rating input score 88
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.34 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

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: 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -2%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.05; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings