SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
Santa Cruz Waldorf School
Santa Cruz, CA · Independent school
THE READ · FREE SUMMARY
Santa Cruz Waldorf School looks stable. Reserves cover under 1 months of expenses, a precarious runway. Revenue is 85% tuition-dependent (peer median 87%), concentrated but in line with most independent day schools. Staff compensation runs 60% of expenses, leaner than the peer median. Three-year net-asset trend is negative (-16.6%/yr), indicating reserve drawdown. NACUBO Composite Financial Index: 3.9 / 10, adequate — monitor.
Santa Cruz Waldorf School holds only 1 months of operating expense in reserve — a thin runway that warrants understanding before walking into a campus visit.
Santa Cruz Waldorf School reported $4.4M in revenue against $4.1M in expenses in fiscal year 2023, the most recent filing on record. Net assets stood at $431K — about 0.10x annual operating expense.
Operating margin landed at 5.8%, with 84.9% of revenue coming from tuition. Among same-size peers, that puts Santa Cruz Waldorf School at the p70 on operating margin.
$4.4M
REVENUE FY2023
5.8%
OP MARGIN
20
PEERS RESOLVED
IRS FORM 990 · DATA THROUGH FY2023
THE FULL REPORT
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Ten panels on Santa Cruz Waldorf 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, Santa Cruz Waldorf School ranks 12th 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.
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