Sussex Montessori School Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE SCHOOL IS TO NURTURE THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPATHETIC, COLLABORATIVE, PERSISTENT AND INNOVATIVE GLOBAL AND COMMUNITY CITIZENS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TIME-TESTED PHILOSOPHY OF MARIA MONTESSORI.
- Income
- $8.1 million
- Spending
- $8.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- -12.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 83%
- Employees
- 91
- Volunteers
- 5
- Highest pay
- $157,994, 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: 44 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 80% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% 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 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 9 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)
- $7.2 million spent. THE '24/'25 ACADEMIC YEAR WAS THE SCHOOL'S FOURTH YEAR OF SCHOOL OPERATIONS. THERE WERE 383 STUDENTS ENROLLED.THE SCHOOL USES THE MONTESSORI METHOD TO EDUCATE CHILDREN THROUGH AUTHENTIC PERSONALIZED LEARNING EXPERIENCES, RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS, OPPORTUNITIES TO INNOVATE, AND A FOCUS ON GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP. THE SCHOOL ENROLLS STUDENTS AGED 5-12 YEARS OLD (KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 6) WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MONTESSORI APPROACH. THE SCHOOL PROVIDES AN OPTION FOR FAMILIES WHO SEEK A BRAIN-BASED, CHILD-CENTERED, DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.THE SCHOOL USES THE RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM APPROACH TO DEVELOP A CONSISTENT AND COHERENT POSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ACROSS THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THIS RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO POSITIVELY IMPACT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, IMPROVE TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS, AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME CHILDREN ARE ENGAGED IN THE CLASSROOM. THE RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM APPROACH PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF THE MONTESSORI CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL.A DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF A MONTESSORI SCHOOL IS THE CELEBRATION OF CULTURAL AND GLOBAL AWARENESS. THE IMMEDIATE AND EXTENDED FAMILIES OF MONTESSORI STUDENTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SCHOOL CULTURE. THEIR EXPERTISE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL CULTURE AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES PROVIDE BREADTH AND DEPTH TO THE CURRICULUM RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPATHY AND MULTICULTURAL APPRECIATION.
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 October 13, 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 February 2019.
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 October 21, 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.