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WESTMINSTER COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 201405355 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B29 · Education · Medium ($1M-$10M) · westminsterccs.org
revenue
$6.8M
expenses
$9.0M
net assets
$6.0M
employees
89
volunteers
55
program ratio
87%
mission · from form 990

PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH RIGOROUS AND HOLISTIC INSTRUCTION IN A SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT.

profile · synthesized from sources

Westminster Community Charter School is a K–8 public charter school in Buffalo, NY, providing rigorous and holistic education in a safe, caring environment. The school emphasizes individualized attention, family engagement, and community partnerships to support student success. It serves students through co-taught classrooms, special education services, English language learner support, and after-school programs.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $999K
    SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR KINDERGARDEN THROUGH GRADE 8 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
  2. #2 $607K
    OTHER PROGRAM EXPENSES INCLUDING CONTRACTED SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND OTHER PROGRAMS FOR KINDERGARDEN THROUGH GRADE 8 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

After School and Summer School Programs
Contracted enrichment and academic support programs for K–8 students during non-school hours and summer months
English Language Learner Program
Instructional support for multilingual learners with two full-time certified ELL teachers
Schoolwide Title I Program
Comprehensive academic improvement initiative for all students, with targeted support for those furthest from proficiency, including needs assessment, professional development, and parent involvement
Special Education Program
Provides specialized instruction and support services for K–8 students with disabilities, aligned with state standards and individual needs
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Special Education Support Services 2 activities
    • Academic Support and Schoolwide Title I Program
      Implements a Schoolwide Title IA Program including comprehensive needs assessment, schoolwide reform strategies, highly qualified instruction, professional development, parental involvement, transition planning, and coordination of services, with additional academic assistance provided to students struggling to attain proficiency.
    • Special Education Services
      Provides special education programs for kindergarten through grade 8 students enrolled in the charter school, including services delivered by a certified special education teacher at each grade level.
  • Structured Student Enrollment Process 1 activity
    • Enrollment and Academic Access Systems
      Provides online access to student assignments and attendance through dedicated parent and student portals and participates in a centralized enrollment system to streamline the application process for prospective families.
  • Comprehensive Student Enrichment Programs 1 activity
    • Extended and Enrichment Programs
      Offers contracted summer school programs, after school programs, and other educational programs for K–8 students, along with enriching programs in athletics and the arts.
  • Family-School Engagement Programs 1 activity
    • Family and Community Engagement
      Hosts a full calendar of family-centered activities, implements strategies to increase parental involvement in school activities and decision-making, and strives to integrate the school experience into family life in a seamless and enriching way.
  • Charter School Operations 1 activity
    • K–8 Charter School Operations
      Operates as a public K–8 charter school serving students in Buffalo's East Side and the Kensington-Bailey community for nearly three decades, providing interactive curricula, small class sizes, and individualized student attention to meet or exceed New York State academic standards.
  • Student and User Data Privacy & Security 1 activity
    • Student Data Privacy and Record Management
      Maintains publicly accessible data privacy policies, restricts disclosure of student records in compliance with FERPA, provides access to school records upon written request, and notifies parents and state authorities in the event of a data breach.
  • Student Support and Academic Services 1 activity
    • Student and Family Support Services
      Employs three counselors and two social workers to support student social-emotional growth and provides resources for parents and families to continue their own education, fostering holistic family engagement.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.80M
Contributions & grants$1.00M15%
Program service revenue$5.40M79%
Investment income$376K6%
Other revenue$26K
expenses
Total expenses$9.03M
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$6.60M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$12.31M
Cash$8.90M
Investments$0
Liabilities$6.32M
Net assets$5.99M
Liquid reserves11.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -22.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
TERESA GERCHMAN PRINCIPAL 34 $206K
COLLEEN PUMA TEACHER 34 $145K
ERIKA HIDALGO TEACHER 34 $135K
MARIA MAKOWSKI ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL 34 $133K
COREY WILSON ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL 34 $126K
TERENDA BROWN TRUSTEE 34 $66K
board members · 6
  • DR RAQUEL REZARA SCHMIDT — CHAIRPERSON
  • ELIZABETH CZARNECKI — VICE CHAIRPERSON
  • JAMES C OBLETZ THRU 32025 — TRUSTEE
  • MELISSA LEOPARD — TRUSTEE
  • ROSALYN TAYLOR — TRUSTEE
  • SHALA WRIGHT BEGAN 32025 — TRUSTEE
relationships · 8

Who they work with

  • Buffalo Promise Neighborhood Partner — Longstanding partner that supports cross-generation experiences and helped establish an early childhood education center near Westminster.
  • Enroll Buffalo Charters Partner — Partner organization that facilitates the school application process for prospective families.
  • Enroll Buffalo Charters Partner — Partner organization that manages the centralized application process for the school.
  • M&T Bank Funder — Funds full scholarships to top high schools for Westminster students.
  • New York State Education Department Government — Receives reports from WCCS on student or staff data breaches and oversees compliance with state data privacy laws.
  • US Department of Education Government — Receives Title I funding and operates under federal guidelines administered by the US Department of Education.
  • WNYRIC Partner — Technology partner providing the infrastructure for student and parent portal systems.
  • community partners Partner — Collaborates with community partners to support a shared vision of student success and belonging.
strategies · 2

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Equity-Centered Access and Individualized Support
    methodology: equity_based_admissions
    By prioritizing historically underserved and local families in admissions and deploying small class sizes with co-taught classrooms, the school advances educational equity and student success because targeted access and individualized attention address systemic barriers and learning variability.
  • Whole-Child, Community-Engaged Education Model
    methodology: whole_child_education
    By integrating academic, social, and emotional support within a safe and caring environment, and by actively involving families and the community in the educational process, the school enhances student learning and well-being because holistic development and strong relational networks are foundational to sustained academic success.