Bridges Public Charter School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE AN EXEMPLARY, INDIVIDUALIZED EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. OUR DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE, STUDENT AND FAMILY-CENTERED EDUCATIONAL APPROACH NURTURES STUDENTS TO EXPAND THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS, IN ORDER TO BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR LIFELONG LEARNING.
- Income
- $17.1 million
- Spending
- $13.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 19.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 93%
- Employees
- 216
- Highest pay
- $235,552, president &
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 19.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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 2512 of 13 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)
- $12.0 million spent. BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (THE "CHARTER SCHOOL") WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION TO STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE CHARTER SCHOOL WAS INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN AUGUST 2003. THE SCHOOL WAS GRANTED A 15-YEAR CHARTER TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNDER THE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM ACT OF 1995. THE SCHOOL PROGRAM OPENED IN AUGUST OF 2005. IN MARCH 2012, THE CHARTER SCHOOL WAS GRANTED APPROVAL BY THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD TO EXPAND INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM, TO SERVE GRADES PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH. THE CHARTER SCHOOL REACHED GRADE LEVEL CAPACITY IN THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR WITH FIFTH GRADE. DURING NOVEMBER 2015, THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S LEGAL NAME WAS CHANGED FROM BRIDGES CHARTER SCHOOL TO BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. BRIDGES' CHARTER WAS RENEWED BY THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15 YEARS ON NOVEMBER 18, 2019, TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNDER THE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM ACT OF 1995. BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IS UNIQUE IN THE DC EDUCATION LANDSCAPE SERVING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN ONE SCHOOL BUILDING THAN ALL BUT ONE OTHER CHARTER SCHOOL IN DC (ST. COLETTA). BRIDGES PROVIDES A CONTINUUM OF INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND HIGH-LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS. THE SCHOOL STUDENT POPULATION IS 38% STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, 52% ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND 65% STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH (LOW-INCOME). THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S ACTIVITIES ARE FUNDED PRIMARILY BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S PER PUPIL ALLOCATION FORMULA, SUPPLEMENTED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE STATE EDUCATION AGENCY TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOOLS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT, SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE EXPENSES. BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (THE "CHARTER SCHOOL") WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION TO STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE CHARTER SCHOOL WAS INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN AUGUST 2003. THE SCHOOL WAS GRANTED A 15-YEAR CHARTER TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNDER THE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM ACT OF 1995. THE SCHOOL PROGRAM OPENED IN AUGUST OF 2005. IN MARCH 2012, THE CHARTER SCHOOL WAS GRANTED APPROVAL BY THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD TO EXPAND INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM, TO SERVE GRADES PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH. THE CHARTER SCHOOL REACHED GRADE LEVEL CAPACITY IN THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR WITH FIFTH GRADE. DURING NOVEMBER 2015, THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S LEGAL NAME WAS CHANGED FROM BRIDGES CHARTER SCHOOL TO BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. BRIDGES' CHARTER WAS RENEWED BY THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15 YEARS ON NOVEMBER 18, 2019, TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNDER THE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM ACT OF 1995. BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IS UNIQUE IN THE DC EDUCATION LANDSCAPE SERVING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN ONE SCHOOL BUILDING THAN ALL BUT ONE OTHER CHARTER SCHOOL IN DC (ST. COLETTA). BRIDGES PROVIDES A CONTINUUM OF INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND HIGH-LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS. THE SCHOOL STUDENT POPULATION IS 38% STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, 52% ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND 65% STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH (LOW-INCOME). THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S ACTIVITIES ARE FUNDED PRIMARILY BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S PER PUPIL ALLOCATION FORMULA, SUPPLEMENTED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE STATE EDUCATION AGENCY TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOOLS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT, SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE EXPENSES.
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 May 2004.
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.