Tallahassee Classical School Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO TRAIN THE MINDS AND IMPROVE THE HEARTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH A CONTENT-RICH CLASSICAL EDUCATION IN THE LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES WITH INSTRUCTION IN THE PRINCIPLES OF MORAL CHARACTER AND CIVIC VIRTUE.
- Income
- $3.6 million
- Spending
- $4.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -40.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 78%
- Employees
- 70
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $74,160, executive director
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: 24 out of 100. Higher than 2% 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
0 of 20It owes 120% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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)
- $3.4 million spent. TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL SCHOOL CURRENTLY SERVES 388 STUDENTS IN GRADES PREK - 12. OUR MISSION IS TO TRAIN THE MINDS AND IMPROVE THE HEARTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH A CONTENT-RICH CLASSICAL EDUCATION IN THE LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, WITH INSTRUCTION IN THE PRINCIPLES OF MORAL CHARACTER AND CIVIC VIRTUE. OUR VISION IS TO DEVELOP EXEMPLARY CITIZENS THAT ARE VIRTUOUS, THOUGHTFUL, ARTICULATE, AND POSSESS A LIFE-LONG PASSION FOR LEARNING.AT TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL, WE COLLECTIVELY STUDY A DIFFERENT CORE VIRTUE EVERY MONTH. THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIRTUOUS CHARACTER, SCHOLARS WILL BE EQUIPPED TO PURSUE TRUTH, GOODNESS AND BEAUTY. TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL SCHOOL EMPHASIZES TEN CORE VIRTUES: WISDOM: THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF THE GOOD. A WISE PERSON POSSESSES THE FOLLOWING VIRTUES: FAITHFULNESS: I WILL UPHOLD THE IDEALS OF MY FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND NATION AND WORK HARD TO BECOME A JUST AND NOBLE CITIZEN. JUSTICE: I WILL STRIVE TOWARDS GOODNESS AND WILL WILLINGLY OBEY ALL LAWS.GRATITUDE: I AM THANKFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE, TAKE GOOD CARE OF WHAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND SHOW OTHERS MY APPRECIATION.TEMPERANCE: I PRACTICE SELF-CONTROL, SELF DISCIPLINE AND DILIGENCE IN THE PURSUIT OF REACHING MY FULL POTENTIAL.FORTITUDE: I WILL FIND THE STRENGTH TO DO THE RIGHT AND HONORABLE THING AND I WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE DESPITE DIFFICULTY AND HARDSHIP.COMPASSION: I TREAT OTHERS WITH KINDNESS AND CONSIDERATION.DILIGENCE: I WILL STRIVE TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK WITH CONCERN FOR ALL THE AREAS INVOLVED, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.INTEGRITY: I AM HONEST AND CONTINUALLY CHOOSE TO HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE TO THE MORAL AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLES I AM TAUGHT.HUMILITY: I PLACE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS FIRST, ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND ADMIT WHEN I AM WRONG.DURING THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR, TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL EARNED A "C" GRADE FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS RIGOROUS CLASSICAL CURRICULUM. CLASSICAL CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, WHICH CULTIVATES WISDOM AND VIRTUE THROUGH THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH, GOODNESS AND BEAUTY. A CLASSICAL EDUCATION IS LANGUAGE-FOCUSED WHERE LEARNING IS ACHIEVED THROUGH WRITTEN AND SPOKEN WORDS. NUMERICAL LITERACY IS AN ESSENTIAL FORM OF LANGUAGE, LEARNED THROUGH THE PRECISE STUDY OF MATHEMATICAL PATTERNS AND RELATIONSHIPS. SUBJECTS ARE INTERRELATED; NOT STUDIED IN ISOLATION FROM ONE ANOTHER BUT INSTEAD SCHOLARS ARE TAUGHT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE DISCIPLINES. HISTORY IS STUDIED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AS THE BACKBONE STRUCTURE FOR LEARNING BEGINNING WITH ANCIENTS AND PROGRESSING FORWARD TO THE MODERNS IN HISTORY, SCIENCE, LITERATURE, ART, AND MUSIC. A CLASSICAL EDUCATION GUIDES SCHOLARS TOWARDS ANALYTICAL INQUIRY AND LOGICAL THINKING. SCHOLARS LEARN TO AGGREGATE INFORMATION ACROSS VARIOUS DISCIPLINES, DEVELOP EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AND BECOME VIRTUOUS CITIZENS AND LIFE-LONG LEARNERS.TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL HELD SEVERAL ATHLETIC PROGRAMS DURING THE YEAR, INCLUDING: MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY, MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL. TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL ALSO CONDUCTED SEVERAL CLUBS INVOLVING ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND A STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION RUN BY OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, TALLAHASSEE CLASSICAL INCORPORATES A HOUSE GROUP SYSTEM IN GRADES K-12, TO FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG STUDENTS AND FACULTY. IN AUGUST, EACH TCS SCHOLAR IS PLACED IN ONE OF SIX HOUSE GROUPS EACH BEARING THE NAME OF ONE OF THE FIRST SIX U.S. PRESIDENTS. SCHOLARS SHARE MEMBERSHIP IN THESE GROUPS WITH AN ARRAY OF OTHER STUDENTS FROM BOTH UPPER AND LOWER SCHOOL. HOUSE GROUPS MEET ON SPIRIT DAYS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY THE LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. ON SPIRIT DAYS, HOUSES WILL MEET FOR FUN ACTIVITIES, COMPETITIONS, AND CIVIC OUTREACH. HOUSE GROUPS GIVE OLDER SCHOLARS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND MENTOR YOUNGER SCHOLARS. SCHOLARS EARN POINTS FOR THEIR HOUSE THROUGH COMPETITIONS AND MERITS, CULMINATING IN AHOUSE CUP WINNER AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
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 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 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 June 2018.
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.