Education & Childcare
Enrollment cycles create cash flow patterns that don't match your expenses. We bring controller and CFO-level oversight to schools and childcare centers ready to grow sustainably.
The Industry
Running a private school or childcare center means managing a business with a rhythm most industries don’t share. Revenue arrives in waves tied to enrollment periods and tuition due dates. Expenses stay constant. Teachers expect paychecks in July even when summer enrollment drops by 40 percent.
The families you serve expect stability. They need to know the doors will open tomorrow and next year. That stability requires financial planning that goes beyond recording what happened last month. It requires forecasting, cash reserves, and someone watching the numbers who understands what enrollment trends mean for the next six months.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
Private schools, Montessori programs, preschools, daycare centers, tutoring businesses, learning centers, trade schools, and after-school programs. Any education or childcare business in South Florida with staff to pay and families to serve.
What Makes It Different
What Makes It Different
Tuition cycles, enrollment fluctuations, staff ratios mandated by licensing, facility costs that don’t flex with enrollment, and often a board or ownership group that needs clear financial reporting. The numbers have to tell a story that non-financial stakeholders can understand.
What We Handle
We provide controller and CFO-level financial oversight for schools and childcare centers that have outgrown basic bookkeeping. Your internal staff handles the daily transactions. We make sure those transactions turn into accurate financial statements, meaningful reports, and strategic insight you can act on.
For growing organizations, we build forecasts and scenario models that show what adding a classroom or opening a second location actually looks like financially. We help you understand when you can afford to hire another teacher versus when you need to wait another quarter.
Controller Oversight
Controller Oversight
Monthly review of your books, reconciliation verification, adjusting entries for prepaid tuition and accrued expenses, and month-end close supervision. Your financials are accurate and your balance sheet reflects reality instead of a pile of unresolved questions.
Strategic Financial Planning
Strategic Financial Planning
Cash flow forecasting that accounts for enrollment seasonality. Budget versus actual analysis that explains variances. KPI tracking for enrollment rates, revenue per student, and staff costs. The financial visibility you need to make decisions with confidence.
Common Problems
The summer cash crunch catches many schools off guard. Enrollment drops, families pause payments, summer camp revenue doesn’t cover the gap. Without cash flow forecasting built around your specific enrollment patterns, you end up scrambling or drawing on a line of credit you shouldn’t need.
Growth decisions often happen based on gut feeling rather than financial modeling. A waiting list feels like a signal to expand, but adding capacity means hiring staff and committing to facility costs before the new tuition revenue arrives. Without proper analysis, growth can actually create financial stress instead of relieving it.
Revenue Recognition Confusion
Revenue Recognition Confusion
Tuition collected in August for the fall semester isn’t all September revenue. Prepaid tuition needs proper recognition across the months it covers. Many schools have financial statements that don’t reflect their true monthly performance because revenue timing is handled incorrectly.
Board Reporting Gaps
Board Reporting Gaps
Boards and ownership groups need financial information presented clearly. A data dump from QuickBooks doesn’t cut it. We prepare reports with context and commentary that help non-accountants understand what’s happening and what decisions need attention.
What Changes
You stop being surprised by predictable cycles. Summer cash needs are planned for in January. Enrollment trends get tracked monthly so you see softness early enough to respond. Financial decisions happen based on data instead of anxiety.
Growth becomes calculated. You know exactly what enrollment you need to support a new hire. You understand the timeline between facility investment and break-even. Expansion happens when the numbers say it makes sense, not just when the waiting list feels long enough.
Financial Clarity for Leadership
Financial Clarity for Leadership
Whether you report to a board, partners, or just yourself, you have monthly financials that tell a clear story. Trends are visible. Variances are explained. You walk into meetings prepared instead of hoping nobody asks hard questions.
Focus on Your Mission
Focus on Your Mission
You got into education or childcare because you care about kids and families. The financial side of the business shouldn’t consume your attention. With proper oversight in place, you spend your energy on programs and people while we make sure the numbers work.
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Let's Talk About Your Business
Tell us about your business and your goals. We'll discuss how Jargo can support your financial operations and growth.