As the fiscal year-end races toward us, every school administrator faces a familiar rush — finalizing financial details to ensure a smooth close to the year. But minor mistakes can lead to major headaches. Here are three common accounting pitfalls our team at Charter Impact helps schools avoid, saving schools stress, time, and money:
Pitfall 1: Misclassifying Expenses and Revenues
Scenario: When crunch time hits, it's easy for expenses and revenues to get mislabeled — especially when juggling multiple tasks under pressure.
Consequences: Misclassified transactions can skew financial reports, resulting in audit red flags, compliance troubles, and flawed decision-making.
How We Help: At Charter Impact, accuracy starts long before audit season. Our dedicated finance and accounting teams perform regular transaction-level reviews using cross-functional checklists, and we apply deep knowledge of state-specific rules and accounting nuances to catch errors. We are experienced in working with board members and district leadership to ensure that not only is your accounting accurate but it is also conveyed to you in a way that is straightforward and accessible. We understand how authorizers and auditors view your books — so we help you tell a consistent financial story. Plus, our tech-enabled workflows flag anomalies in real-time, reducing surprises and ensuring every dollar lands where it belongs.
Quick Tip: Commit to monthly reconciliations and quick-checks of your financial statements to spot and correct classification errors immediately.
Pitfall 2: Underestimating Cash Flow Needs
Scenario: Many schools underestimate year-end cash needs, especially when reimbursements or grants are delayed, creating unexpected shortfalls.
Consequences: Poor cash flow management can disrupt operations, cause payroll hiccups, and sour relationships with vendors.
How We Help: We treat cash flow as a living, breathing tool — not a static spreadsheet. Charter Impact builds detailed, forward-looking projections tailored to your school’s funding timelines, including state apportionments, federal reimbursements, and grant disbursements. We update these models continuously, incorporating actuals and changes in revenue assumptions, so you have a clear view of liquidity months in advance. Because we understand cash cycles inside and out, we flag risks early and help you plan proactively for reserves.
Quick Tip: Review and update budget to actual forecasts monthly to anticipate and address funding gaps that could impact the cash flow of the organization.
Pitfall 3: Delaying Essential Year-End Reconciliations
Scenario: With so many tasks competing for attention, important reconciliations — like bank accounts, payroll, and grant records — can slip down the priority list.
Consequences: Delays and inaccuracies can trigger compliance issues, audit complications, and potentially jeopardize your school's funding.
How We Help: Charter Impact doesn’t just “close the books” — we actively manage them. Our teams reconcile monthly, not just at year-end, including grant revenue recognition, accounts payable, and payroll liabilities. We understand that reconciliations are where financial health issues hide, so we build them into our standard cadence with rigor and clarity. And when audit season rolls around, we take care of that too, working with your auditors to ensure your audit is completed timely and effectively.
Quick Tip: Establish a routine schedule for reconciliations — monthly or quarterly — to prevent stressful year-end backlogs.
Final Thoughts
Avoiding these pitfalls doesn’t just make year-end easier — it lays the groundwork for stronger financial health year-round. If you could use a second set of eyes or some added support as the year wraps up, we’re here and happy to help.
