Corporation of the Washington Latin School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE A RIGOROUS, CLASSICAL EDUCATION TO PUBLIC SCHOOL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
- Income
- $32.4 million
- Spending
- $28.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- -14 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 88%
- Employees
- 296
- Volunteers
- 75
- Highest pay
- $221,718, head of school
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 32% 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 63% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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 2510 of 10 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 (1)
- $25.7 million spent. WASHINGTON LATIN PCS OFFERS A CLASSICAL EDUCATION FOR THE MODERN WORLD AS A SMALL NETWORK OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS OPEN TO STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. DURING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR ENROLLMENT WAS 746 STUDENTS AT OUR 2ND STREET CAMPUS (GRADES 5-12) AND 384 STUDENTS AT THE ANNA JULIA COOPER CAMPUS (GRADES 5-8). THE COOPER CAMPUS OPENED IN 2022 WITH GRADES 5 AND 6, AND WE ARE ADDING ONE ADDITIONAL GRADE EACH YEAR UNTIL WE REACH OUR FULL COMPLEMENT OF GRADES 5-12 IN THE 2028-2029 SCHOOL YEAR.AT LATIN, WE AIM FOR A DIVERSE AND REPRESENTATIVE STUDENT BODY AND HAVE ENROLLED STUDENTS FROM EACH OF THE EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC, IN EVERY ONE OF OUR 19 YEARS. ANY STUDENT IN GRADES 5 THROUGH 12 WHO IS EAGER TO LEARN AND WILLING TO WORK TOWARD AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION WILL FIND OUR PROGRAM REWARDING AND WILL GRADUATE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE OR CAREER.OUR PRIMARY SOURCES OF SUPPORT ARE LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT FUNDING THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION. IN ADDITION, WE COLLECT STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES AND RECEIVE GRANTS AND DONATIONS FROM PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS.CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:INHERENT IN OUR SCHOOL'S DESIGN IS A PURPOSEFUL TENSION BETWEEN THE IDEALS OF CLASSICAL EDUCATION AND THE REALITIES OF THE MODERN WORLD. AS A CLASSICAL SCHOOL, WE ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE ESTABLISHED WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS, PARTICULARLY THE CULTURES OF GREECE AND ROME. AT THE SAME TIME, WE STRIVE TO CONVEY THESE LEGACIES WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REFLECTS THE BEST OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE, INCLUDING A COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND A VARIETY OF PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES.WE EMPLOY BOTH TRADITIONAL METHODS - SUCH AS REPETITION AND SOCRATIC DIALOGUE - AND CONTEMPORARY INNOVATIONS, INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING. THIS BALANCE BETWEEN CLASSICAL AND MODERN IS EXPLORED THROUGH A BROAD LIBERAL ARTS CURRICULUM CENTERED ON THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH, BEAUTY, AND GOODNESS. THE LIBERAL ARTS PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A MULTIFACETED VIEW OF THE WORLD AND PREPARE THEM TO BE THOUGHTFUL GLOBAL CITIZENS. WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO QUESTION ASSUMPTIONS, BROADEN THEIR PERSPECTIVES, AND DEVELOP CONFIDENCE, EMPATHY, AND FLEXIBILITY. OUR GOAL IS TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUTONOMOUS SELF AND SUPPORT STUDENTS IN PURSUING THEIR FULLER HUMANITY.WE HAVE A STABLE AND DEDICATED FACULTY WHO BRING DEEP INSTRUCTIONAL EXPERTISE AND PASSION FOR THEIR SUBJECT AREAS TO THE CLASSROOM. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A COMMITMENT TO SMALL CLASS SIZES, ALLOWING TEACHERS TO PROVIDE PERSONALIZED ATTENTION TO ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES AND LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES.HIGHLIGHTS OF WASHINGTON LATIN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:INCLUDING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, WASHINGTON LATIN HAS BEEN OPEN FOR 19 YEARS AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR AUTHORIZER, THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD, WHICH RENEWED OUR 15-YEAR CHARTER IN 2022. WE ARE ALSO ACCREDITED BY COGNIA (2023-2029).IN RESPONSE TO STRONG DEMAND, WE OPENED OUR SECOND CAMPUS, THE ANNA JULIA COOPER CAMPUS, IN AUGUST 2022 WITH 163 STUDENTS IN GRADES 5 AND 6. IN 2023-2024, WE ADDED 7TH GRADE, AND IN 2024-2025, WE ADDED 8TH GRADE. WE WILL CONTINUE ADDING ONE GRADE EACH YEAR UNTIL REACHING FULL ENROLLMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 740 STUDENTS IN GRADES 5-12.WASHINGTON LATIN PURCHASED A PERMANENT HOME FOR THE COOPER CAMPUS AT 4301 HAREWOOD ROAD IN SEPTEMBER 2022. RENOVATION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION WILL BE COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2025.IN RECENT DC-WIDE STANDARDIZED TESTING (PARCC ASSESSMENTS ADMINISTERED EACH SPRING), WASHINGTON LATIN STUDENTS SCORED AT OR NEAR THE TOP IN BOTH ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) AND MATHEMATICS. OUR ELA SCORES WERE THE HIGHEST OF ANY NON-SELECTIVE DCPS OR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT.OUR FIRST CLASS GRADUATED IN 2012; THE CLASS OF 2025 WILL BE OUR 14TH GRADUATING CLASS.OUR FACULTY RETENTION IS STRONG, PARTICULARLY COMPARED TO OTHER PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IN DC AND NATIONALLY. OUR ANNUAL RETENTION RATE IS 85-90%, AND MORE THAN ONE QUARTER OF OUR FACULTY HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE. WE ARE ESPECIALLY PROUD THAT MANY OF OUR OWN GRADUATES HAVE RETURNED TO WORK AT THE SCHOOL; 10% OF OUR FACULTY ARE WASHINGTON LATIN ALUMNI.
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 2006.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.