Post Oak School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 61 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
See Schedule OThe mission of The Post Oak School is to prepare an outstanding Montessori environment that fosters collaboration, cooperation and peace and to provide experiences that promote curiosity, inquiry and engagement. Designed according to the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual characteristics and needs of the learner, our methods guide and nurture each individual from infancy to adulthood. The School's approach is grounded in the principles of AMI Montessori education.
- Income
- $16.7 million
- Spending
- $16.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- -0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 93%
- Employees
- 152
- Volunteers
- 125
- Highest pay
- $489,603, president, 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
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
10 of 20It owes 34% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 61 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 2513 of 14 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 (4)
- $13.8 million spent. The Post Oak School provides a comprehensive Montessori education, based on the principles and practices of Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and accredited by the International Schools of the Southwest (ISAS), to a diverse population of approximately 500 students from infancy to high school. In keeping with Dr. Montessori's ideals, children work in multi-age classrooms with a high level of freedom in choosing their own foundations in language, math, geography, science, music, and other disciplines. The Middle School and High School are located on a second campus in the museum district of Houston which incorporates the principles of Dr. Montessori as well as the International Baccalaureate.
- The Post Oak School offers an extensive program of parent education. A free series of four classes, repeated throughout the year, offers general information about Montessori education to both prospective parents and interested visitors. The infant-parent program helps parents of toddlers raise happy, confident children. A variety of other classes, lectures, and other presentations during the school year, some free and open to the public and others by reservation, afford a variety of perspectives on the School's primary purpose of raising intelligent, confident, caring, and self-motivated lifelong learners.
- Community service is deeply ingrained in the Montessori curriculum, from infancy through adolescence. By the time of Middle School, the entire class spends a half day each week working in small groups at various service agencies around Houston. Elementary students have ongoing relationships with other agencies, whether through regular site visits for volunteer work or by working on projects to benefit needy people in more distant places. Older children routinely learn the benefits and blessing of aiding others in the school's multi-age classrooms. Even the infants, living in a small tight-knit community, discover early on that other people have feelings.
- Faculty and Staff regularly present at national Montessori conferences and attend both national and international Montessori congresses. The School's administration has led the formation of a national Montessori administrators association. Multiple organizations, whether devoted to Montessori or traditional education, like the North American Montessori Teachers Association (NAMTA) or Independent School Management (ISM) recommend Post Oak materials, policies, and procedures as models of best practices for similar schools.
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 1972.
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.