Columbia Academy School: FY2023 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 62-0488045)

James Thomas’s $152K as President is at the 16th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

Name	FY2025	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
James Thomas	$151,754	$143,588	$137,161	$130,104	$133,330	$120,053

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.

See Columbia Academy School executive salaries →

Questions the 990 asks

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

Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Educates students in skills, knowledge, and character, fostering Christ-like attitudes.

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1 program · $11.5M · in their own filed words · FY2022

01

Grades Pre-K-12

Provide primary and secondary education.

$11.5Mprogram 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

Greater Nashville FundingFY2025$6K

Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$6K

Grants paid · 10 grants · $4.3M · 2019–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$778,596

Unitemized GrantFY2024$164,325

Unitemized GrantFY2023$982,216

Unitemized GrantFY2023$126,098

Unitemized GrantFY2022$948,519

Unitemized GrantFY2022$124,750

Unitemized GrantFY2021$829,992

Unitemized GrantFY2021$127,118

Unitemized GrantFY2020$103,049

Unitemized GrantFY2019$124,726

Federal money

Single Audit · Federal Audit Clearinghouse · money spent from federal programs

Year ending May 2024 · $1.3M federal money spent

Education Stabilization FundDepartment of Education · ALN 84.425 · Through State of Tennessee, Department of Education$1.3M

The auditor reported no findings.

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$14.1M

Ln 12

Fees for servicesLn 2g$12.2M

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.8M

Investment incomeLn 3$107K

Money outPt IX

$12.7M

Ln 25

Programscol B$11.5M

Managementcol C$1.0M

Fundraisingcol D$159K

Owns and owesPt X

$12.3M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$975K

Total assetsLn 16$18.7M

LiabilitiesLn 26$6.4M

PeoplePt VI, VII

14

listed · VII A

PaidVII A1

Voting boardVI 1a12

IndependentVI 1b12

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.8M

Government grantsLn 1e$179K

Noncash giftsLn 1g$291K

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$160K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$12.2M

Investment incomeLn 3$107K

Gains on assetsLn 7$10K

Total revenueLn 12$14.1M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$975K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$975K

Accounts receivableLn 4$49K

Inventories for sale or useLn 8$7K

Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$29K

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$13.8M

InvestmentsLn 11–13$3.7M

Other assetsLn 15$203K

Total assetsLn 16$18.7M

LiabilitiesLn 26$6.4M

Net assetsLn 32$12.3M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 5228

VolunteersI 675

Fiscal year endsHeaderMay

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3More from this return

Abroad and in kindSch F, M

Noncash gifts receivedSch M Pt I$291K

Investment feesPt IX, Sch D

Investment fees, as reportedPt IX 11f$28K

Share of the $3.5M endowmentSch D 1g0.82%

Typical, median of 2,202 orgs0.44%

EndowmentSch D · Pt V

Line	FY23	FY22	FY21	FY20	FY19
End of yearLn 1g	$3.5M	$3.5M	$3.8M	$3.1M	$2.4M
Given inLn 1b	$246K	$159K	$64K	$102K	$56K
SpentLn 1d–1f	$165K	$165K	$156K	$148K

4Year over year

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

Line	Start FY23	End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$2.6M	$975K
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$3.5M	$3.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$11.3M	$13.8M
Total assetsLn 16	$17.5M	$18.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$6.6M	$6.4M
Net assetsLn 32	$10.9M	$12.3M

5Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$1.1M	$1.1M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$6.3M	$5.7M	$610K	$60K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$150K	$135K	$13K	$2K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$811K	$740K	$69K	$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$454K	$405K	$45K	$5K
Legal feesLn 11b	$7K		$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c	$45K		$45K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e	$33K			$33K
Investment management feesLn 11f	$28K		$28K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$75K	$75K
Information technologyLn 14	$123K	$123K
OccupancyLn 16	$2K	$2K
TravelLn 17	$205K	$204K		$579
InterestLn 20	$226K	$225K	$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$923K	$908K	$15K
InsuranceLn 23	$111K	$92K	$20K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$1.4M	$1.3M	$107K	$38K
All other expensesLn 24e	$623K	$537K	$68K	$18K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$12.7M	$11.5M	$1.0M	$159K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Jan 21, 2026	$16.5M	$14.3M	$2.2M	$17.3M	990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Dec 9, 2024	$17.0M	$14.0M	$3.0M	$15.2M	990 PDF
FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 29, 2023	$14.1M	$12.7M	$1.4M	$12.3M	990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Apr 18, 2023	$13.3M	$11.2M	$2.1M	$10.9M	990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Feb 10, 2022	$12.0M	$10.4M	$1.5M	$9.2M	990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Mar 15, 2021	$8.9M	$8.8M	$103K	$7.2M	990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

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

See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $14,065,575 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,038,882$1,801,972

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $10,750,931$12,156,474

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $498,699$107,129

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $13,288,512$14,065,575

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $957,110$1,073,269

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

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $6,683,596$7,739,440

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $81,257$32,823

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $3,442,677$3,805,201

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $11,164,640$12,650,733

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $2,123,872$1,414,842

Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12

VI-1b Independent voting members12

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo

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 $14,065,575 across 11 lines filed

VIII-1c Fundraising events$159,915

VIII-1d Related organizations$36,000

VIII-1e Government grants$178,693

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,427,364

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$290,527

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,801,972

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $12,156,474$12,156,474

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $96,881$96,881

VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $10,248$10,248

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $12,156,474 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $107,129$14,065,575

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $12,650,733 across 18 lines filed

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $1,073,269$1,073,269

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $5,654,290 · Management $609,974 · Fundraising $60,400$6,324,664

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $134,982 · Management $12,751 · Fundraising $2,125$149,858

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $739,984 · Management $68,946 · Fundraising $2,000$810,930

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $404,540 · Management $44,817 · Fundraising $4,631$453,988

IX-11b Legal feesManagement $6,663$6,663

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $45,381$45,381

IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $32,823$32,823

IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $28,461$28,461

IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $75,357$75,357

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $123,217$123,217

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,000$2,000

IX-17 TravelPrograms $203,936 · Fundraising $579$204,515

IX-20 InterestPrograms $224,911 · Management $1,275$226,186

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $908,304 · Management $14,605$922,909

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $91,757 · Management $19,671$111,428

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,290,828 · Management $107,337 · Fundraising $37,618$1,435,783

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $537,016 · Management $67,819 · Fundraising $18,466$623,301

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $11,464,391 · Management $1,027,700 · Fundraising $158,642$12,650,733

Part X · Balance sheet $18,749,930 assets, 18 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $2,618,881$974,867

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $30,930$48,879

X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $8,539$7,011

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $6,583$28,591

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $11,346,322$13,834,443

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $3,466,497$3,494,060

X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $36,101$159,539

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$202,540

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $17,513,853$18,749,930

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,622,301$1,376,470

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $440,563$522,255

X-23 Secured mortgages and notes payableStart of year $4,528,427$4,367,082

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$168,783

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $6,591,291$6,434,590

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $8,219,492$9,618,385

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,703,070$2,696,955

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $10,922,562$12,315,340

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $17,513,853$18,749,930

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $12,315,340 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$14,065,575

XI-2 Total expenses$12,650,733

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,414,842

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$10,922,562

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$145,502

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$123,438

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$12,315,340

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

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Columbia Academy School FY2023 filing

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