Chicago Waldorf School

Chicago Waldorf School is burning the cushion faster than the 6-month buffer suggests. Expenses are outpacing revenue 14.6% vs 8.0% per year over three years, and the latest operating margin is -5.1% on a 89% tuition-dependent revenue mix. Covering the deficit at today's rate, reserves would last roughly 9.4 more years — the full budget, by contrast, is covered for about 6 months if every revenue line stopped. The board conversation here is the recovery plan for the operating model and the timeline to break-even. NACUBO Composite Financial Index: -0.8 / 10, distressed.

Chicago Waldorf School holds only 6 months of operating expense in reserve — a thin runway that warrants understanding before walking into a campus visit.

Chicago Waldorf School reported $10.0M in revenue against $10.5M in expenses in fiscal year 2023, the most recent filing on record. Net assets stood at $5.1M — about 0.48x annual operating expense.

Operating margin landed at -5.2%, with 89.0% of revenue coming from tuition. Among same-size peers, that puts Chicago Waldorf School at the p20 on operating margin.