Brixham Montessori Friends School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BRIXHAM MONTESSORI FRIENDS SCHOOL (BMFS) HONORS EACH CHILD'S INDIVIDUALITY, CREATIVITY, AND INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL THROUGH ENRICHED MONTESSORI EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -7.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 83%
- Employees
- 36
- Highest pay
- $80,041, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 72% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 72 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $998,487 spent. BMFS IS AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LOCATED IN YORK, ME THAT SERVES CHILDREN (AGES 2 TO 10) LIVING IN THE SEACOAST REGION OF SOUTHERN ME AND NH. FOUNDED IN 2000, BMFS HAS GROWN STEADILY FROM ITS HUMBLE ROOTS AS A QUINTESSENTIAL "ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE" WITH 1 TEACHER AND 8 STUDENTS INTO A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF 85 STUDENTS, 72 FAMILIES, AND 16 TEACHERS. BMFS HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN INTEGRAL PARTNER FOR FAMILIES SEEKING A HOLISTIC EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT DIFFERENTIATES ITS CURRICULUM FOR THE NEEDS OF EACH CHILD. THE SCHOOL PROVIDES ELEMENTARY, PRESCHOOL, AND TODDLER PROGRAMS BASED ON THE CORE PRINCIPLES CONCEPTUALIZED BY MARIA MONTESSORI AND OTHER PROGRESSIVE EDUCATIONAL THEORISTS. "FOLLOW THE CHILD- AND "FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITIES" ARE TWO MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES THAT BMFS DEEPLY HONORS AND RESPECTS. BMFS IS CONSIDERED A LEADING EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE SEACOAST REGION. ALL LEAD CLASSROOM TEACHERS HAVE BACHELORS DEGREES AND ARE REQUIRED TO BE MONTESSORI CERTIFIED. ADDITIONALLY, THE MAJORITY OF CLASSROOM TEACHERS HAVE ADVANCED DEGREES (27 TOTAL DEGREES, INCLUDING 7 WITH MASTERS) AND 5 ARE BILINGUAL TO INCLUDE SPANISH, GERMAN, KOREAN, PORTUGUESE AND FRENCH. EACH CLASSROOM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE OPTIMAL MONTESSORI EXPERIENCE WITH A CORE FOCUS ON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, MATHEMATICAL FOUNDATIONS, SENSORIAL COGNITION, AND EVERYDAY LIVING FUNDAMENTALS. THESE FOUNDATIONAL SUBJECTS ARE COUPLED WITH BIG-PICTURE THEMATIC SURVEYS OF THE ARTS, SCIENCES, AND CULTURAL STUDIES, WHICH CREATES A GLOBAL MENTAL FRAMEWORK IN EACH CHILD THAT LIVES AND GROWS WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. THE CORE CURRICULUM IS FURTHER ENRICHED WITH FITNESS AND HEALTH, MUSIC, SPANISH, DRAMA AND STUDIO ART. AT BMFS, EACH CHILD'S INDIVIDUALITY, CREATIVITY, AND INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL IS HONORED AND ALL STUDENTS ARE RESPECTED AND TREATED AS LEADERS, WRITERS, ARTISTS, SCIENTISTS, ACTORS, AND MUSICIANS. BMFS IS AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LOCATED IN YORK, ME THAT SERVES CHILDREN (AGES 2 TO 10) LIVING IN THE SEACOAST REGION OF SOUTHERN ME AND NH. FOUNDED IN 2000, BMFS HAS GROWN STEADILY FROM ITS HUMBLE ROOTS AS A QUINTESSENTIAL "ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE" WITH 1 TEACHER AND 8 STUDENTS INTO A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF 85 STUDENTS, 72 FAMILIES, AND 16 TEACHERS. BMFS HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN INTEGRAL PARTNER FOR FAMILIES SEEKING A HOLISTIC EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT DIFFERENTIATES ITS CURRICULUM FOR THE NEEDS OF EACH CHILD. THE SCHOOL PROVIDES ELEMENTARY, PRESCHOOL, AND TODDLER PROGRAMS BASED ON THE CORE PRINCIPLES CONCEPTUALIZED BY MARIA MONTESSORI AND OTHER PROGRESSIVE EDUCATIONAL THEORISTS. "FOLLOW THE CHILD- AND "FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITIES" ARE TWO MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES THAT BMFS DEEPLY HONORS AND RESPECTS. BMFS IS CONSIDERED A LEADING EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE SEACOAST REGION. ALL LEAD CLASSROOM TEACHERS HAVE BACHELORS DEGREES AND ARE REQUIRED TO BE MONTESSORI CERTIFIED. ADDITIONALLY, THE MAJORITY OF CLASSROOM TEACHERS HAVE ADVANCED DEGREES (27 TOTAL DEGREES, INCLUDING 7 WITH MASTERS) AND 5 ARE BILINGUAL TO INCLUDE SPANISH, GERMAN, KOREAN, PORTUGUESE AND FRENCH. EACH CLASSROOM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE OPTIMAL MONTESSORI EXPERIENCE WITH A CORE FOCUS ON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, MATHEMATICAL FOUNDATIONS, SENSORIAL COGNITION, AND EVERYDAY LIVING FUNDAMENTALS. THESE FOUNDATIONAL SUBJECTS ARE COUPLED WITH BIG-PICTURE THEMATIC SURVEYS OF THE ARTS, SCIENCES, AND CULTURAL STUDIES, WHICH CREATES A GLOBAL MENTAL FRAMEWORK IN EACH CHILD THAT LIVES AND GROWS WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. THE CORE CURRICULUM IS FURTHER ENRICHED WITH FITNESS AND HEALTH, MUSIC, SPANISH, DRAMA AND STUDIO ART. AT BMFS, EACH CHILD'S INDIVIDUALITY, CREATIVITY, AND INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL IS HONORED AND ALL STUDENTS ARE RESPECTED AND TREATED AS LEADERS, WRITERS, ARTISTS, SCIENTISTS, ACTORS, AND MUSICIANS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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