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The Co-op School
BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 461402442 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE B29 · Education · Medium ($1M-$10M) · thecoopschool.org
revenue
$5.6M
expenses
$6.3M
net assets
$-407K
employees
94
volunteers
250
program ratio
88%
mission · from form 990

The Co-op School believes that joyful learning lays the foundation for lifelong learning and critical thinking: creativity cannot exist without passion. We extend this belief to all of our programs - elementary and preschool education, summer camp and toddler playgroup.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Co-op School is a Brooklyn-based educational institution offering progressive, play-based learning programs for children from toddler age through middle school. Rooted in joyful, inquiry-based pedagogy, the school serves students through preschool, elementary, and middle school programs, as well as summer camp and toddler playgroup offerings. The curriculum emphasizes social-emotional development, creativity, and project-based learning across academic domains.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $2.66M
    Preschool and Lower School Programs:The basis for our curriculum:- Children constantly learn as they play.- Children learn to be socially interactive through dramatic play.- Feeling, touching and creating through sensory activities enhance cognitive skills.- Painting, pasting and participation in art activities allows children to express themselves creatively.- Cutting, assembling and threading objects encourage the development of fine motor skills.- Physical activity and movement, such as balancing, crawling, dancing and jumping, help to develop gross motor skills.- Reading stories every day promotes literacy while exposing children to different cultures and experiences.- Positive interaction and communication are encouraged among all the children as well as between adults and children.- To encourage teachers to ask open-ended questions and interact with children on their eye level.
  2. #2 $177K
    OTHER PROGRAMS:- PLAYGROUP - CHILDREN AGES 6 MONTHS TO 2 YEARS OLD ATTEND WITH A PARENT OR CAREGIVER TO PLAY AND INTERACT WITH THEIR PEERS. THIS IS A TIME FOR FREE PLAY AND AGE-APPROPRIATE TOYS. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND ART MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED.- CAMP - SIX WEEKS SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR KIDS AGES 2 TO 9. WE OFFER AN EXCITING SUMMER OF MUSIC, MOVEMENT, SPORTS, FINE AND CRAFT ARTS THAT INSPIRE KIDS TO EXPLORE THEIR PASSIONS AND TRY NEW THINGS.- SPACE RENTAL - THE CO-OP SCHOOL'S LARGE RECREATION ROOM ON THE GROUND FLOOR IS AVAILABLE TO RENT FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Lower School
Elementary program teaching reading, writing, mathematics, and science through balanced literacy and real-world, project-based learning with emphasis on reasoning and problem-solving
Middle School
Program that extends joyful, inquiry-based learning with increased academic rigor, focusing on critical thinking, social-emotional skills, independence, and global citizenship
Playgroup
Program for children ages 6 months to 2 years with a parent or caregiver, featuring free play, age-appropriate toys, music, and art materials
Preschool and Lower School Programs
Play-based curriculum focusing on sensory activities, dramatic play, art, literacy, fine and gross motor development, and social-emotional learning for young children
Space Rental
Rental of the school’s recreation room on the ground floor for special occasions and events
Summer Camp
Six-week summer program for children ages 2 to 9 offering music, movement, sports, fine arts, and crafts to encourage exploration and new experiences
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Play-Based Early Childhood Education 2 activities
    • Play-based early childhood education program
      Provides a play-based early childhood education program for children starting at age 2, focusing on independence, social-emotional development, and school readiness. The program includes daily outdoor play, sensory and science-based learning, art activities, and music integration as core components of cognitive, creative, and social-emotional development.
    • Playgroup for infants and toddlers with caregivers
      Runs a playgroup for children aged 6 months to 2 years with caregivers, offering free play, music, and art materials to support early development.
  • Event Venue Rental Services 1 activity
    • Facility rental for special events
      Makes its ground-floor recreation room available for rental for special events.
  • Family-School Engagement Programs 1 activity
    • Family and community engagement
      Engages parents as active partners through participation in school projects, events, and workshops to strengthen the home-school connection. Also includes community member visits and collaborative learning activities.
  • Comprehensive K–8 Academic Curriculum 1 activity
    • Lower and middle school academic and social-emotional instruction
      Provides differentiated, standards-based instruction in literacy, mathematics, science, and digital literacy for students in grades K–8. The curriculum includes the Fundations and Writing Revolution methodologies, Amplify Science materials, and project-based learning, alongside weekly social-emotional learning taught by a school counselor using the Responsive Classrooms Approach.
  • Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
    • Professional development and staff collaboration
      Supports ongoing professional development for staff and faculty through access to professional learning opportunities and dedicated time for structured collaboration.
  • Student Progress Assessment & Program Evaluation 1 activity
    • Student assessment and academic progress monitoring
      Administers NWEA MAP Growth assessments starting in third grade and conducts DIBELs literacy screenings three times per year, supplemented by Fountas & Pinnell running records and unit-based math assessments to evaluate and support student progress.
  • Student and Camp Transportation Services 1 activity
    • Student transportation services
      Provides annual bus transportation five days a week for eligible students in Kindergarten and up, with routes customized each year based on student addresses across Brooklyn neighborhoods. Families receive route assignments and approximate pick-up/drop-off times in mid/late August, and a fee of $800 is charged for the Williamsburg/Bushwick route.
  • Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
    • Summer camp program for children ages 2–10
      Operates an annual summer camp program from June to August for children ages 2 to 10, featuring enrichment classes, live performances, creative arts, music, movement, sports, off-site trips via public transit, and visits from community members such as firefighters and florists.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$5.64M
Contributions & grants$342K6%
Program service revenue$5.30M94%
Investment income$22K0%
Other revenue$-27K
expenses
Total expenses$6.27M
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$4.54M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$18.68M
Cash$2.77M
Investments$0
Liabilities$19.09M
Net assets$-407K
Liquid reserves5.3 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +5.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Chloe Smith Director 0 $124K
MAUREEN BOUCHER Business Dir. 40 $106K
board members · 11
  • Andy Shapiro — Treasurer
  • Ann Fraioli-Singh — Trustee
  • Deanna Bocchetti — Head of School
  • Hilary Cramer-Robinson — Trustee
  • Kristina Hoge — Secretary
  • Manuela Mozo — Trustee
  • Melba Sullivan — President
  • Octavia Figueroa — Trustee
  • Sara Siddappa — Vice President
  • Sean Farber — Trustee
  • Steve Jean-Baptiste — Trustee
relationships · 20

Who they work with

  • Amplify Science Partner — Curriculum partner whose materials are incorporated into The Co-op School's standards-based science program.
  • B15 Government — Bus line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • B43 Government — Bus line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • B44-SBS Government — Bus line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • B46 Government — Bus line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • B52 Government — Bus line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • Brooklyn Partner — Reflects and celebrates the diversity of Brooklyn through inclusive programming and community engagement.
  • C Line Government — Subway line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • Department of Health Government — Follows class size and staffing ratio requirements set by the Department of Health.
  • G Line Government — Subway line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • J Line Government — Subway line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • M Line Government — Subway line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
  • NYC Department of Education Government — Oversees eligibility and policies for student transportation through Chancellor's Regulation A-801.
  • Northwestern Evaluation Association Government — Provider of the MAP Growth assessment used for measuring student growth and proficiency starting in third grade.
  • Northwestern Evaluation Association Partner — Uses NWEA MAP Growth assessments as part of student evaluation starting in third grade
  • Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) Government — Coordinates free yellow bus and MetroCard services for NYC students; the school works with OPT for eligible student transportation.
  • Padlet Network — Hosts parent thank-you messages for teacher appreciation
  • Padlet Network — Platform used to share parent testimonials and appreciation for teachers
  • Sawyer Partner — Registration platform used for summer camp enrollment and discount processing.
  • Z Line Government — Subway line providing public transit access to The Co-op School campus
strategies · 5

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.

  • Constructivist, Whole-Child Education
    methodology: constructivist_whole_child
    By grounding learning in children's individual experiences and emphasizing joy, curiosity, and community collaboration, we foster deep, meaningful development across cognitive, emotional, and social domains because learning is most effective when it is personally relevant and contextually embedded.
  • Decolonizing and Anti-Bias Learning Environment
    methodology: decolonizing_education
    By centering BIPOC voices and integrating anti-bias education through stories, art, and dialogue, we create a liberatory educational experience that affirms student identity and builds empathy because representation and critical consciousness are foundational to equitable development.
  • Experiential and Play-Based Learning
    methodology: experiential_learning
    By integrating daily outdoor exploration, hands-on projects, and sensory-rich play, we cultivate curiosity, confidence, and lifelong critical thinking because children construct knowledge most effectively through direct, joyful experience.
  • Family and Community as Co-Educators
    methodology: cooperative_model_family_engagement
    By structuring classrooms as family-like communities and engaging parents as active partners, we strengthen social-emotional development and home-school alignment because sustained learning thrives in collaborative, interdependent ecosystems.
  • Integrated, Continuous Campus Model
    methodology: integrated-campus-model
    By co-locating early childhood through middle school programs on one campus, we enable seamless educational continuity and strong community bonds because long-term developmental support is enhanced by stable, familiar environments.