Questions Every School Leader Should Ask Their Back Office Provider

Strong financial oversight creates long-term sustainability. The best providers do more than process transactions—they help leaders understand budgets, monitor cash flow, plan for growth, manage risk, and make informed decisions. 

Eric Robert, BES’s Director of Leadership Development – Finance & Operations, shares the questions you should be asking so you can ensure your school is positioned to be financially healthy and sustainable for years to come.

Whether you’re selecting a partner for the first time or reconsidering your current one, these questions are designed to surface what matters most: technical capability, charter-specific expertise, and mission alignment. Use this as a working tool, bring it to conversations with prospective providers, share it with your finance committee, and revisit the founder reflection questions at the bottom as a check on your own readiness.

Charter School Experience & Expertise

• How many charter schools do you currently support?
• Can you provide references from current and former charter school clients?
• How many startup schools have you supported from approval through opening?
• How many schools have you helped through charter renewal?
• What percentage of your clients are charter schools versus traditional nonprofits or businesses?

School Demographics & Student Needs

• How do you tailor your services to schools serving high percentages of low-income students?
• How do you support schools with large populations of English Learners and students with disabilities?
• What experience do you have supporting Title I schools?

Compliance & Regulatory Knowledge

• How familiar are you with our state’s charter school laws and compliance requirements?
• How do you stay current on changing state and federal regulations?
• How do you prepare schools for authorizer reviews and financial oversight visits?

Budgeting, Finance & Cash Flow

• How do you assist with budget development and building conservative financial assumptions?
• How do you monitor budget-to-actual performance throughout the year?
• How do you support schools in maintaining healthy cash reserves and Days Cash on Hand?
• How do you help develop contingency plans if enrollment is lower than expected?

Grant & Funding Support

• How do you support Title I, Title II, IDEA, CSP, and other federal or state grants?
• How do you manage reimbursement-based grants and drawdowns?
• What systems do you use to track grant expenditures?

Audit & Financial Compliance

• What is your audit success rate, and how do you prepare schools for annual audits?
• What internal controls do you recommend for startup schools?

Payroll, Benefits & Human Resources

• Do you process payroll and support benefits administration/retirement plans?
• How do you ensure payroll compliance and accurate reporting?
• How do you support staffing forecasts as schools grow?

Technology & Financial Systems

• What financial software systems do you use, and are they compatible with state reporting?
• Who owns the school’s financial data, and how is historical data accessed if we leave your services?

Reporting & Communication

• What financial reports will we receive, and how often will we meet to review performance?
• Will you attend finance committee and board meetings?

Staffing & Customer Service

• Will we have a dedicated account manager?
• What is your average response time and escalation process for urgent issues?

Training & Leadership Development

• Do you provide training for school leaders and board members on financial oversight?
• What financial dashboards or tools do you provide for school leaders?

Growth & Scalability

• How do your services evolve as a school adds grade levels or campuses?
• How do you support long-term financial sustainability planning?

Contracts & Provider Relationship

• What does the onboarding process look like, and what are the deliverables for the first 90 days?
• What would make a school an ideal client for your organization?

Executive-Level Questions (The “Deep Dive”)

• What financial risks do you see most often in startup charter schools?
• What are the top three mistakes founders make with budgeting?
• What financial indicators should trigger concern from a board?
• If you were opening a charter school tomorrow, what financial systems would you put in place first?

 Founder Reflection Questions

As a leader, it is important to check your own readiness alongside the provider’s. Consider the following:

• Do I truly understand my school’s financial model and budget assumptions?
• Do I know our current Days Cash on Hand?
• Do I have a contingency plan for lower enrollment, delayed funding, or unexpected facility costs?
• Does my board know how to read and interpret our financial statements?