Opportunity Trust (Zest Education)

Financials

According to its 2023 tax filings, the Opportunity Trust reported $12,600,936 in revenues and $14,089,865 in expenses for a net loss of -$1,488,929, with $3,999,593 in total assets. Between the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years the Opportunity Trust saw a 10% decrease in total revenues. ² Compensation for chief executive officer Eric Scroggins in 2024 was $375,356. ³

During the 2024 fiscal year, the Opportunity Trust received $427,475 in government grants. ⁴ In 2023, the Opportunity Trust announced it had received a $35.5 million grant, paid over a five-year period, from the U.S Department of Education’s Charter School Program State Entity (CSP-SE). According to the organization, it was reportedly the first ever CSP-SE grant given in the State of Missouri. ⁵

Funding

The Opportunity Trust has received funding from national grantmaking organization City Fund, which has previously funded charter and charter-like schools. In 2019, the Opportunity Trust received about one quarter of its raised funding from City Fund, totaling $1.7 million in grants. ⁶ In 2022, the Opportunity Trust received $4,050,000 in grants from the City Fund. ⁷

In 2023, the Opportunity Trust received a $500,000 grant from the Penner Family Foundation, an education focused grantmaking foundation founded in 2015 by Carrie Walton Penner, an heir to the Walmart fortune, and her husband Gregory Penner, who was the chair of Walmart as of 2025. ^{8 9}

Activities

The Opportunity Trust claims to work with pre-K–12 schools in the Saint Louis region while developing new charter schools and carter-like school programs by working with local educators and community stakeholders. It also claims to work with existing schools in the region to advocate reforms towards local governance, leadership, planning, curriculum, and training programs. ¹⁰

The Opportunity Trust has previously supported local policy initiatives within the state of Missouri. In May 2024, it supported state Senate Bill 727 that it claimed would increase school funding, salaries for teachers, and expand charter schools. ¹¹

Leadership

Eric Scroggins is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Opportunity Trust. Prior to founding the organization, Scroggins was a science teacher and worked in several positions with Teach For America for 14 years, rising to the position of chief strategy and program officer. ¹²