Resources for School Leaders
Practical guides on budgeting, financial planning, and everything school leaders - founders, operators, and school teams - need to build a school that lasts. Written for educators, not accountants.
School funding by state
Charter per-pupil, ESA, vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, facility funding, and the private-school equitable-services ombudsman - for all 50 states and DC.
Browse funding by stateFederal Title funds for private schools
Private schools are owed a fair share of federally funded services - tutoring, teacher training, technology. The step-by-step guide, plus your state's ombudsman.
Read the guidePrep guide
A printable PDF that walks every wizard step in order, with checklists for the documents and decisions to gather before you sit down to build.
Model Prep Guide (Standard)
For most school founders, charter, private, microschool, pod, co-op, or tutoring center. Walks every wizard step in order with checklists of the documents and decisions to gather before you build.
Download PDFGuides & articles
How Private Schools Access Federal Title Funds (Equitable Services): A Step-by-Step Guide
Private schools can't receive Title I, II, III, or IV money as cash - but you're entitled to a fair share of the services those federal dollars pay for. Here's the exact, friction-free path to claim tutoring, teacher training, ed-tech, and English-learner support for your students.
Read articleFederal Meal Programs for Private Schools (NSLP & SBP): How to Apply
Nonprofit private schools can join the federal National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and get paid real cash for the meals they serve. Here's how it works, who to contact in your state, and how to budget it.
Read articleHow to Build a School Budget: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to build a school budget from scratch - a step-by-step guide covering enrollment projections, revenue, staffing, operating expenses, and the reserves that keep your school financially healthy.
Read articleHow to Build a 5-Year Financial Model for Your School
A step-by-step walkthrough for creating a professional multi-year financial projection - the document lenders, authorizers, and board members need to see.
Read articleCash vs. Accrual Accounting for Schools
Understand the two main accounting methods, how they affect your financial reports, and which one makes sense for your school.
Read articleWhat Lenders Look For in a School Loan Application
A practical guide to understanding how lenders evaluate school loan applications - and how to present your financial model in the strongest possible light.
Read articleCharter School Funding Models Explained
How charter school funding works across different states - per-pupil allocations, weighted funding, federal grants, and what it all means for your budget.
Read articleHow to Calculate Your School's Break-Even Enrollment
Learn how to find the minimum number of students your school needs to cover its costs - and why this number should be at the center of your financial planning.
Read articleUnderstanding Operating Reserves for Schools
What operating reserves are, why they matter, and how to build them into your school's financial plan from the start.
Read articleStarting a Microschool: Financial Planning Essentials
A financial planning guide specifically for microschool founders - from setting tuition to managing costs in a small-scale learning environment.
Read articleFinancial Statements 101 for School Founders
The three reports your bookkeeper produces every month - P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement - explained in plain English with one worked example each.
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