Sage Hill School: FY2023 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 33-0729698)

Patricia Merz’s $950K as Head of School is at the 99th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

Name	FY2025	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Patricia Merz	$950,102	$754,688	$659,555	$607,390	$576,480	$478,943
Gordon McNeill	—	—	—	—	$947,367	$458,366
Jill Livermore	$333,991	$323,373	$295,936	$285,379	$272,353	$233,050
Matthew Balossi	$240,305	$235,858	$205,565	$196,245	$182,574	$155,303
Matthew Sahlin	$224,450	$219,757	—	—	—	—
Gregory O'Leary	—	—	—	$213,484	—	—
Elaine Mijalis	—	—	—	$212,979	—	—
Sanan Shirinian	$206,711	$195,122	$184,900	—	—	—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Educates and inspires high school students with a love of knowledge.

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1 program · $23.2M · in their own filed words · FY2022

01

Sage hill school is an independent high school located on 30 acres in newport coast, ca. Founded in 2000, the school provides more than 550 students with small class sizes that average 16 students per teacher, outstanding academic curricula and a dedicated team of college counselors.

$23.2Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid

Grants received · FY2025

The Ayco Charitable FoundationFY2025$68K

Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$68K

Grants paid · 6 grants · $16.1M · 2019–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$3,639,682

Unitemized GrantFY2023$3,235,384

Unitemized GrantFY2022$2,564,534

Unitemized GrantFY2021$2,247,596

Unitemized GrantFY2020$2,285,496

Unitemized GrantFY2019$2,108,221

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

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1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$29.7M

Ln 12

Fees for servicesLn 2g$27.8M

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M

Investment incomeLn 3$258K

Money outPt IX

$29.7M

Ln 25

Programscol B$23.2M

Managementcol C$5.2M

Fundraisingcol D$1.3M

Owns and owesPt X

$92.5M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$29.4M

Total assetsLn 16$128.1M

LiabilitiesLn 26$35.6M

PeoplePt VI, VII

25

listed · VII A

PaidVII A7

Voting boardVI 1a17

IndependentVI 1b17

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M

Noncash giftsLn 1g$51K

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$292K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$27.8M

Investment incomeLn 3$258K

Other incomeLn 4–11$1K

Gains on assetsLn 7−$643K

Total revenueLn 12$29.7M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$87K

SavingsLn 2$29.3M

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$29.4M

InvestmentsLn 11–13$29.6M

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$67.5M

Other assetsLn 15$998K

Total assetsLn 16$128.1M

LiabilitiesLn 26$35.6M

Net assetsLn 32$92.5M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 5208

VolunteersI 6300

Fiscal year endsHeaderJune

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY23	End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$25.6M	$29.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$26.0M	$29.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$69.4M	$67.5M
Total assetsLn 16	$122.6M	$128.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$33.8M	$35.6M
Net assetsLn 32	$88.8M	$92.5M

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$2.6M	$2.6M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$1.3M	$382K	$723K	$191K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$12.4M	$10.0M	$1.8M	$622K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$732K	$623K	$78K	$31K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$1.5M	$1.3M	$183K	$30K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$964K	$575K	$383K	$5K
Legal feesLn 11b	$136K		$136K
Accounting feesLn 11c	$66K		$66K
Investment management feesLn 11f	$56K		$56K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$57K	$14K	$43K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$549K		$549K
Office expensesLn 13	$419K	$153K	$144K	$122K
Information technologyLn 14	$364K	$340K	$22K	$2K
OccupancyLn 16	$624K	$587K	$33K	$4K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19	$95K	$29K	$62K	$4K
InterestLn 20	$360K	$339K	$19K	$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$2.8M	$2.7M	$149K	$16K
InsuranceLn 23	$355K	$302K	$52K	$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$2.8M	$2.7M	$70K	$8K
All other expensesLn 24e	$1.6M	$726K	$636K	$232K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$29.7M	$23.2M	$5.2M	$1.3M

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2025 Latest	$42.7M	$34.9M	$7.8M	$122.4M	990 PDF
FY2024	$46.3M	$31.9M	$14.3M	$110.9M	990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing	$29.7M	$29.7M	−$15K	$92.5M	990 PDF
FY2022	$33.8M	$26.9M	$6.9M	$88.8M	990 PDF
FY2021	$28.1M	$25.5M	$2.5M	$92.0M	990 PDF
FY2020	$28.6M	$24.9M	$3.7M	$85.0M	990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations

See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $29,725,445 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,323,406$1,667,615

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $24,880,647$27,798,615

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $6,694,834$257,832

I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$129,977$1,383

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $33,768,910$29,725,445

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $2,247,596$2,564,534

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $14,426,834$16,885,369

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $10,232,390$10,290,512

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $26,906,820$29,740,415

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $6,862,090−$14,970

Part VI · Governance 17 of 17 board members independent, 1 to look at

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body17

VI-1b Independent voting members17

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes

VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes

VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $29,725,445 across 10 lines filed

VIII-1c Fundraising events$292,427

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,375,188

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$51,299

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,667,615

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $27,798,615$27,798,615

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $900,727$900,727

VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax −$642,895−$642,895

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$145,632−$145,632

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $147,015$147,015

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $27,798,615 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $259,215$29,725,445

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $29,740,415 across 20 lines filed

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $2,564,534$2,564,534

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $381,966 · Management $722,983 · Fundraising $190,983$1,295,932

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $9,958,648 · Management $1,826,366 · Fundraising $621,856$12,406,870

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $622,816 · Management $77,713 · Fundraising $31,445$731,974

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,273,149 · Management $182,958 · Fundraising $30,440$1,486,547

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $575,490 · Management $383,175 · Fundraising $5,381$964,046

IX-11b Legal feesManagement $135,553$135,553

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $66,283$66,283

IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $56,405$56,405

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $14,356 · Management $43,080$57,436

IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $548,997$548,997

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $152,888 · Management $144,111 · Fundraising $121,843$418,842

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $339,942 · Management $21,696 · Fundraising $2,067$363,705

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $587,243 · Management $33,011 · Fundraising $3,571$623,825

IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $28,932 · Management $61,851 · Fundraising $4,073$94,856

IX-20 InterestPrograms $338,810 · Management $19,045 · Fundraising $2,060$359,915

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $2,657,057 · Management $149,361 · Fundraising $16,158$2,822,576

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $301,931 · Management $51,738 · Fundraising $1,494$355,163

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $2,715,143 · Management $69,782 · Fundraising $7,549$2,792,474

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $726,168 · Management $635,961 · Fundraising $232,353$1,594,482

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $23,239,073 · Management $5,230,069 · Fundraising $1,271,273$29,740,415

Part X · Balance sheet $128,076,766 assets, 18 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $226,629$86,667

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $25,393,193$29,285,624

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $426,161$298,729

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $5,686$7,213

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $331,976$297,355

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $69,437,520$67,468,435

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $26,012,674$29,631,314

X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $3,747$3,743

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $764,693$997,686

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $122,602,279$128,076,766

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,410,881$2,950,999

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $14,477,965$16,524,975

X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $16,948,556$16,122,027

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $33,837,402$35,598,001

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $76,611,662$79,050,198

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $12,153,215$13,428,567

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $88,764,877$92,478,765

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $122,602,279$128,076,766

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $92,478,765 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$29,725,445

XI-2 Total expenses$29,740,415

XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$14,970

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$88,764,877

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$3,728,858

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$92,478,765

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Sage Hill School FY2023 filing

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