Montessori School of Raleigh Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 226 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF RALEIGH (MSR) AND CAROLINA PREPARATORY ACADEMY (CAROLINA PREP) ARE THE TRIANGLE'S MODERN EMBODIMENT AND MINDFUL PRACTICE OF THE TIME-PROVEN MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY AND THE WORLD-RENOWNED INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM, DEVELOPING AGILE THINKERS, POISED COMMUNICATORS, AND GRACIOUS COLLABORATORS-ENGINEERS OF AUTHENTIC AND FULFILLING LIVES.
- Income
- $12.3 million
- Spending
- $11.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- -3.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 90%
- Employees
- 153
- Volunteers
- 220
- Highest pay
- $293,158, 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
Weak: 32 out of 100. Higher than 5% 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
2 of 20It owes 77% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 226 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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 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)
- $9.3 million spent. THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF RALEIGH IS A COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN FROM INFANCY (SIX WEEKS) THROUGH GRADE 12. THROUGH SELF-DIRECTED ENGAGEMENT WITH MSR'S EMBRACING CULTURE, INHERENTLY INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM, AND PURPOSEFULLY PREPARED ENVIRONMENTS, STUDENTS CONSTRUCT MEANING BY EXPLORING THEIR PERSONAL INTERESTS AND CURIOSITIES.GUIDED BOTH IMPLICITLY AND EXPLICITLY BY EXPERT TEACHERS, THEIR PEERS, AND THEIR OWN METACOGNITIVE REFLECTIONS, STUDENTS DEVELOP MASTERY ACROSS EVOLVING SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC DOMAINS. THEY LEARN THE HABITS OF MIND AND PRACTICE THAT FOSTER DEEP FOCUS, DISCERNMENT, UNDERSTANDING, AND MATURITY FROM THEIR EARLIEST YEARS.THROUGH THIS COMPREHENSIVE PREPARATION, STUDENTS BUILD THE COGNITIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND IN LIFE-EMERGING AS AGILE THINKERS, POISED COMMUNICATORS, AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.THE MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, OPERATING AS CAROLINA PREPARATORY ACADEMY, SERVE STUDENTS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 12 AND OFFER AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CONTINUUM, INCLUDING THE MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME AND THE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME, PROVIDING A RIGOROUS AND GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED COURSE OF STUDY THAT PREPARES STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND.
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 October 1975.
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.