Desert Dragon School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Educational services
- Income
- $75,598
- Spending
- $39,071
- Reserves
- 0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 85%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 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)
- Desert Dragon Learning Community is a small, personalized learning space in Tucson, AZ where students ages 10-14 with learning differences can thrive. Through autonomy, project-based learning, and personalization in a comfortable, flexible space, Desert Dragon students will be able to access their present and future goals.MISSION STATEMENT Desert Dragon Learning Community is a small, personalized learning space in Tucson, AZ where adolescents with learning differences can thrive. Through autonomy, project-based learning, and personalization in a comfortable, flexible space, Desert Dragon students will be able to access their present and future goals. FINANCIAL INFORMATION We started 2025 with a $10,000 grant from VELA and $857.44 in the bank account. We had 3 students enrolled at the full-time level, and 2 at part-time. By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, our enrollment grew to 7, with 2 additional full-time students who did not yet have their ESA funding but who attended when they could. In March of 2025 we moved from suite #6 into suite #1 in the Many Hands Courtyard. The $10,000 grant was used to pay the increase in rent for the larger space, and materials for the space. We also paid 2 interns $20/hour for 6 hours a week during the Spring semester. We ran a summer program to generate more revenue and pay our staff. The program was well-attended, with 3 students who attended over summer enrolling with us for the school year. We started the 2025-2026 school year with 7 students: 3 part time and 4 full-time. By the end of December, we were up to 11 students; at one point we had 12! We started January 2026 with 10 students. We had 2 interns we paid $15/hour, and hired a part-time learning coach who we pay $20/hour for 20 hours a week. Despite this growth, we still struggle to keep up with costs. We added 3 students in Quarter 2 who had not yet received their ESA funding, and only 1 of them has been able to pay for Quarter 2. Future Funding: We are in need of a tuition increase to cover costs and pay Annie a salary, as well as additional philanthropic support and fundraising. PROJECTS Year two and more students have really helped us see what works and what needs adjusting! Successes: Field trips continue to be a success: in 2025, we visited Mission Garden twice, Mt Lemmon, El Jefe Cat Cafe, Hunter's Kitten Lounge, The Fox Theatre, Scoundrel and Scamp Theater, Arizona Theater Company, Tucson Village Farm, Cooper Center for Environmental Education, the Creative Arts Teen Summit at the Tucson Festival of Books, and Ben's Bells. The Cooper Center field trip was developed in coordination with the Southern Arizona Microschool Collective, and students have made friends with students from other microschools. Those students have formed an Odyssey of the Mind Team for 2026. The space is being used by Eichling Enrichment for afterschool D&D programming, which has helped us find more connections within the local autistic community. Partnerships have increased: In addition to our monthly AdventureArt visit, we added visiting Groundworks once a month. The addition of Lab Classes for the 2025-2026 school year has mostly been a success: We had Music, Art, Psychology, ELA, Math/Science, Social Sciences, and Enrichment Labs every week. Going in 2026, we are making some adjustments to the Lab schedule, including AdventureArt every week. Challenges: Online curriculums are a struggle to get students to complete on a regular basis. We have MindPlay, which has an Orton-Gillingham based reading program and a math program; LifeHub; and ST Math. The students consistently do work on LifeHub; getting them to do the other two is often met with refusal. More students has also meant more conflict. To address this, all staff are working on outside trainings from Learn Play Thrive, and the Autism Masterclass. Going into 2026, we are hoping to have training from Lives in Balance, and we are working on developing a training unique to microschools with the PDA Society of North America. Space continues to be a constraint; we have shifted furniture and room purposes around multiple times. We began the process of accreditation with the Middle States Association, but were unable to meet the deadline for completing the paperwork. Looking Forward: We have one intern for Spring 2026 from the UA Psychology Department who is unpaid. We have an intern set up for the Fall as well. Desert Dragon Learning Community continues to work with several other area microschools to create the Southern Arizona Microschool Collective in order to leverage marketing and other support for Southern Arizona microschools. In 2026 we hope to: Find a larger location able to support increased enrollment Create a working group to create an elementary-age community Increase revenue to be able to pay for 2 full-time staff as well as paid interns Create a more robust self-directed learning program that aligns with neurodivergent needs Consider alternate accreditation pathways/continue with Middle States APPRECIATION Desert Dragon Learning Community extends its appreciation to Elaine Nathanson and Eichling Enrichment for donations and financial support.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 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 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 December 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 January 2025.
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.
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