SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
The Pathfinder School
Traverse City, MI · Independent schoolNAIS MEMBER
THE READ · FREE SUMMARY
The Pathfinder School looks stable. The school holds 16 months of operating cushion, adequate runway. Revenue is 82% tuition-dependent (peer median 83%), concentrated but in line with most independent day schools. Staff compensation runs 60% of expenses, well below the peer median, worth understanding why. Expenses are outpacing revenue 14.3% vs 11.1% per year over three years, signaling margin compression worth flagging. NACUBO Composite Financial Index: 3.4 / 10, adequate — monitor.
The Pathfinder School reported $2.5M in revenue against $2.5M in expenses in fiscal year 2023, the most recent filing on record. Net assets stood at $3.4M — about 1.35x annual operating expense.
Operating margin landed at -3.3%, with 82.5% of revenue coming from tuition. Among same-size peers, that puts The Pathfinder School at the p45 on operating margin.
$2.5M
REVENUE FY2023
-3.3%
OP MARGIN
20
PEERS RESOLVED
IRS FORM 990 · DATA THROUGH FY2023
THE FULL REPORT
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Ten panels on The Pathfinder School: financial health, peer comparison, community demographics, paying & giving capacity, competitive position, enrollment demand, leadership compensation, governance — and the questions to ask. One subscription opens every school.
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WHERE THIS SCHOOL SITS · REVENUE SCALE VS PEERS
Among 20 similar peer schools, The Pathfinder School ranks 16th by latest 990 revenue.
Revenue scale
WHAT’S IN THE REPORT
- Financials — IRS Form 990, up to nine years on file.
- Enrollment & demand — IRS 990 tuition revenue + U.S. Census county births.
- Competition — NCES private (PSS) + public (CCD) school inventory.
- Demographics — U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates.
- Local economy — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW and CES.
- Peer set — 1,620 independent schools with verified financials.
The full school report
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