St Hope Public Schools
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO GRADUATE SELF-MOTIVATED, INDUSTRIOUS, CRITICALLY THINKING LEADERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING OTHERS, PASSIONATE ABOUT LIFE-LONG LEARNING AND PREPARED TO EARN A DEGREE FROM A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE.
- Income
- $25.1 million
- Spending
- $20.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- -9.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 98%
- Employees
- 168
- Volunteers
- 35
- Highest pay
- $308,117, superintendent
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
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 57% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 0% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 (2)
- $9.9 million spent. ST. HOPE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS A FREE, COLLEGE-PREP PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL SYSTEM IN OAK PARK. FOR OVER 20 YEARS, OUR SCHOOLS - PS7 (GRADES TK-8) AND SAC HIGH (GRADS 9-12) - HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN CLOSING THE OPPORTUNITY GAP. ESTABLISHED IN 1989, ST. HOPE BEGAN AS AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOUNDED BY FORMER MAYOR KEVIN JOHNSON, WHO GREW UP IN OAK PARK AND RETURNED TO HIS NATIVE SACRAMENTO AFTER RETIRING FROM THE NBA.
- $8.2 million spent. SACRAMENTO CHARTER HIGH: IN 2003, SACRAMENTO HIGH SCHOOL WAS FACING STATE INTERVENTION AS STUDENT PERFORMANCE DROPPED YEAR AFTER YEAR. THAT YEAR, ST. HOPE REOPENED THE SCHOOL AS A PUBLIC CHARTER, ALONG WITH PS7, TO PROVIDE A SEAMLESS TK-12TH GRADE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED. PS7 AND SAC HIGH EMBODY A CORE COMMITMENT TO STUDENT EXCELLENCE AND COLLEGE READINESS THAT PROVIDES OUR SCHOLARS WITH THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE LEARNING AND CAREER SUCCESS. SHPS SERVES A VERY SPECIFIC GROUP OF SCHOLARS AND IS THE EDUCATIONAL HOME TO A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF BLACK, HISPANIC/LATINO, FOSTER AND HOMELESS YOUTH THAN THE SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICT, CITY AND STATE. THESE GROUPS ALSO PERFORM HIGHER THAN BOTH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE AT PS7 & SAC HIGH. IN 24-25, MORE THAN 50% OF SAC HIGH'S GRADUATING CLASS OF 2025 WERE/ARE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE. SAC HIGH'S PANTHER PIPELINE PROGRAM ENABLES STUDENTS TO TAKE COLLEGE COURSES AND EARN BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CREDIT. SAC HIGH IS ONE OF TWO HIGH SCHOOLS IN SCUSD TO OFFER THIS DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AND THE ONLY ONE TO OFFER IT IN PERSON. SAC HIGH HAS ALSO EXPANDED THE PANTHER PIPELINE THIS YEAR TO INCLUDE SCHOLARS FROM ALL FOUR GRADE LEVELS 9TH-12TH.
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 August 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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.