Horizon Academy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
HORIZON ACADEMY EMPOWERS STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH DYSLEXIA AND OTHER LANGUAGE-BASED LEARNING DISABILITIES TO BECOME EFFECTIVE LEARNERS AND CONFIDENT SELF-ADVOCATES. (VISION AND VALUES ON SCHEDULE O)
- Income
- $4.7 million
- Spending
- $4.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 2.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 88%
- Employees
- 65
- Volunteers
- 115
- Highest pay
- $174,712, head of school
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.5 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 39% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 50 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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
0 of 7Reports no 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 July 31, 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)
- $3.7 million spent. HORIZON ACADEMY SERVES APPROXIMATELY 120 STUDENTS IN 10 COUNTIES WITHIN A 75-MILE RADIUS. WE PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO APPROXIMATELY 40% OF OUR STUDENTS THROUGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RAISED THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. HORIZON ACADEMY HOLDS ACCREDITATION THROUGH ISACS AND ADVANCED AND IS AN APPROVED PRIVATE AGENCY THROUGH MISSOURI DESE. OUR SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM IS RECOGNIZED BY THE ORTON-GILLINGHAM ACADEMY AS A SCHOOL FOLLOWING ORTON-GILLINGHAM PRINCIPLES APPROVED IN PROVIDING APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA AND OTHER LANGUAGE-BASED LEARNING DISABILITIES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THE O-G APPROACH PERMEATES OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND INCLUDES MULTISENSORY MATH (MSM), THE WRITING REVOLUTION, AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION. ALL TEACHERS ARE TRAINED IN THESE APPROACHES. IN ADDITION, WE OFFER SERVICES TO THE KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR LEARNING CENTER WHICH OFFERS TUTORING AND TESTING SERVICES. WE ACT AS A RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY BY OFFERING FREE EVENTS THAT PROMOTE AWARENESS OF LEARNING DISABILITIES AS WELL AS TRAINING FOR TEACHERS. OVER 600 STUDENTS HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM OUR SCHOOL. MANY HAVE ACHIEVED BEING ON THE HONOR ROLL, HAVE GRADUATED COLLEGE AND HAVE ENTERED THE WORK FORCE.HORIZON ACADEMY IS CONSIDERED A "TRANSITION" SCHOOL. AS PART OF OUR MISSION, WE MEET INCOMING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE ACADEMICALLY, INTERVENE WITH THE RIGHT SET OF LEARNING APPROACHES (OG) AND STRATEGIES, AND WITHIN AN AVERAGE OF THREE YEARS RETURN THEM TO THEIR TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS AND/OR SCHOOLS AS CONFIDENT LEARNERS AND SELF-ADVOCATES. BY DESIGN, WE LOSE 25-30% OF OUR STUDENTS EVERY YEAR. OUR STUDENT OUTCOMES AND METEORIC GROWTH CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE QUALITY OF OUR STAFF AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WE PROVIDE FOR THEM.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 July 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 May 1997.
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.