SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
Synapse School
Menlo Park, CA · Independent schoolNAIS MEMBER
THE READ · FREE SUMMARY
Synapse School shows signs of real financial distress. Reserves cover under 3 months of expenses, a precarious runway. Revenue runs 71% tuition-dependent (peer median 80%), diversified by day-school standards, with meaningful contribution and investment income. Staff compensation runs 47% of expenses, well below the peer median, worth understanding why. Three-year net-asset trend is negative (-5.2%/yr), indicating reserve drawdown. NACUBO Composite Financial Index: -1.6 / 10, distressed.
Synapse School holds only 3 months of operating expense in reserve — a thin runway that warrants understanding before walking into a campus visit.
Synapse School reported $21.5M in revenue against $23.5M in expenses in fiscal year 2023, the most recent filing on record. Net assets stood at $5.1M — about 0.22x annual operating expense.
Operating margin landed at -9.2%, with 71.4% of revenue coming from tuition. Among same-size peers, that puts Synapse School at the p10 on operating margin.
$21.5M
REVENUE FY2023
-9.2%
OP MARGIN
20
PEERS RESOLVED
IRS FORM 990 · DATA THROUGH FY2023
THE FULL REPORT
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Ten panels on Synapse 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, Synapse School ranks 4th 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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