Washington Montessori Association Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237100723
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New Preston, CT, USA
Phone
8608680551
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,755,223
Expenses
$9,362,082
Assets
$17,567,023
Liabilities
$9,013,706

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • LAUNA SCHWEIZER (HEAD OF SCHOOL THRU 04/2025): $240,731 total reported compensation
  • ANNE FENTON (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $158,917 total reported compensation
  • LAURA MARTIN (ASST HEAD OF ENROLLMENT): $126,700 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Washington montessori school creates an inclusive and joyful environment, supported by a deeply rooted community of families and educators, where children embrace their individual and collective potential and prepare to live with integrity in a changing world.

What it reported doing in 2024

During the school year, wms offers five programs, each rooted in montessori philosophy and practice: young children's community for children aged 18 months to three years old; lower school for children 3-6 years old; lower elementary for 1-3 grade students; upper elementary for 4-5 grade students; and middle school for 6-8 grade students.wms also offers robust after school programming, including extended care programs for youngest children, enrichment courses for lower school and elementary school children, and athletics and arts programming for our middle school students. In the summer, wms runs a variety of summer camps and programs for students between the ages of three and fourteen. These offerings range from a montessori-inspired day camp for younger campers, to sports clinics and specialty camps for older campers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 92% 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 75% for direct work, and 25% for grants.
  • 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 83
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.3%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.56 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
    • 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; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 78.6%; rating input score 79; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.88; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.51; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.7%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.3% of revenue deployed · 81.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $241K · 18 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $120K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 4/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 49/100.