Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2008.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
80 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
10 people listed on the 990; $381K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).
Jamie Christensen’s $146K as Exec Dir - Academics is at the 14th 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Christensen | $145,524 | $143,284 | $151,960 | $156,416 | $134,330 | $128,500 |
| Brad Nelson | $137,856 | $151,892 | $147,351 | $147,351 | $134,485 | $128,500 |
| Elizabeth Banner | $133,387 | $112,094 | — | — | — | — |
| Christina Guevera | — | — | — | — | $112,063 | — |
| Courtney England | $103,529 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Spectrum Academy 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
Operates and promotes a public charter school funded by government sources.
Questions for Spectrum Academy
Your first name shows with your question. Spectrum Academy answers here, for everyone.
Operation of one public charter school for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 76-0817459) · Dispute this lineOperation of a day care and preschool services.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 76-0817459) · Dispute this lineOperation of a food services program for the convenience of the students and faculty.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 76-0817459) · Dispute this lineFunders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
Federal money
Plus 3 smaller programs.
The auditor reported no findings.
Plus 6 smaller programs.
The auditor reported no findings.
Plus 5 smaller programs.
The auditor reported no findings.
Plus 8 smaller programs.
The auditor reported no findings.
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $5.5M | $9.9M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $26.7M | $29.6M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $32.6M | $39.7M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $27.9M | $36.5M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $4.7M | $3.3M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5 | $381K | $381K | ||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $17.4M | $14.9M | $2.5M | $42 |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $326K | $326K | ||
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $1.6M | $1.3M | $249K | $867 |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $1.4M | $1.4M | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $47K | $47K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $2.4M | $724K | $1.7M | |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $5K | $5K | $85 | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $23K | $23K | ||
| Information technologyLn 14 | $460K | $347K | $113K | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $444K | $421K | $23K | $161 |
| TravelLn 17 | $13K | $13K | ||
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $124K | $124K | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $1.1M | $922K | $223K | $2K |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $785K | $631K | $153K | $1K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $63K | $63K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $1.8M | $1.2M | $517K | $35K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $57K | $57K | ||
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $28.5M | $22.9M | $5.6M | $39K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Oct 27, 2025 | $37.5M | $36.8M | $683K | $7.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Feb 4, 2025 | $36.6M | $35.3M | $1.3M | $6.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Feb 29, 2024 | $32.9M | $31.6M | $1.2M | $5.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Mar 8, 2023 | $29.7M | $28.8M | $962K | $4.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Dec 22, 2021 | $27.3M | $28.5M | −$1.2M | $3.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Jan 28, 2021 | $23.6M | $23.4M | $190K | $4.7M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990
Part I · Summary $27,326,865 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $27,326,865 across 9 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $28,496,066 across 18 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $39,731,636 assets, 15 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $3,279,629 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file FY2021 from the IRS (about our sources) · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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