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BUDGETING & ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE

Coaching built into the model - right when you need it.

Inline benchmarks tell you whether your numbers are healthy. Plain-English explainers translate finance jargon. A Budget Primer walks you through the basics. And when you have actuals, upload your CSV and we'll line them up next to your plan.

Built for: First-time school founders, board members reviewing a budget for the first time, and operators who want a second opinion built into the tool.

Start with Coaching On

A look at what you'll work with.

Faithful previews of the views, charts, and controls you'll use in the product.

Wizard · Staffing step · Inline coaching · Basics mode

Staffing step of the wizard with inline coaching tips and benchmarks visible next to the inputs.●Tips appear next to the input

Coaching shows up in context - right next to the input you're filling in, never in a side panel.

Help menu · Budgeting Basics primer · On-demand explainer

Budgeting Basics primer modal explaining the three financial statements every school uses.●Open from any wizard step

Open the Budgeting Basics primer any time to brush up on the three financial statements.

How it works.

5 steps from blank page to a finished view you can share.

1

Pick your guidance level.

Basics, Extra, or Advanced. The platform adjusts how much coaching shows up - from heavy hand-holding for first-time founders to a quiet UI for experienced operators.

2

Get inline benchmarks as you type.

Setting tuition? See what similar schools charge. Adding a teacher? See typical salary ranges. Every input has a benchmark right next to it.

3

Tap an explainer when you hit jargon.

DSCR, net margin, days of cash on hand - every metric has a plain-English explainer that says what it means, why it matters, and what's healthy.

4

Open the Budget Primer.

A short, focused walkthrough of the three financial statements every school operates around - written for educators, not accountants.

5

Upload your accounting actuals.

Drop in a CSV from QuickBooks or your bookkeeper. Budget maps the categories and shows you actuals next to plan so you can see where you're on or off track.

Common questions.

Do I need accounting experience to use SchoolStack Budget?

No. Budget is built for educators and founders. Every concept is explained in plain English, with benchmarks and examples right where you need them.

What's the Budget Primer?

A short, in-app walkthrough of the three financial statements every school operates around - income statement, cash flow, and balance sheet. Written for people who didn't go to business school.

Can I turn the coaching off if I already know what I'm doing?

Yes. Set your guidance level to Advanced and the coaching prompts get out of the way. You can switch back any time.

How does the accounting CSV upload work?

Export a transactions CSV from QuickBooks or any bookkeeping system, drop it in, and Budget maps it to your plan categories. You see actuals vs plan side by side.

You don't need a finance degree to build a real budget.

Coaching, benchmarks, and plain-English guidance are baked into every step - so you make confident decisions, not guesses.

Start with Coaching On