Financial guidance that helps your school invest in students
Charter school finance leaders keep resources flowing to the classrooms, staff, and programs students rely on. Our financial training and consulting give you practical tools, an experienced instructor, and trusted guidance for the decisions that shape your school's future.
Financial Management Series: a full budget year in four trainings
Join us for four live trainings on Zoom from October through April. Each one-hour session is led by Julie Lundgren, who has spent more than 20 years in charter school finance and works today as a Chief Financial Officer. The trainings follow your school's budget year and build on each other, so you'll get the most out of joining all four.
The 2026-27 training schedule
All four trainings meet from 9:00 to 10:00 am on Zoom, moving from fall revenue planning to spring budget development. Trainings are $75 each. Register for the series.
October 8: Revenue Strategies
Finding Dollars You May Be Leaving on the Table. Explore banking relationships, investment strategies, facility rentals, fundraising, and fee revenue that can strengthen your school's financial position.
December 10: Long-Range Financial Planning
Planning with a Five-Year Budget Model. Learn to forecast enrollment, staffing, state and federal funding, lease costs, and operating expenses so the decisions you make today hold up over time.
February 11: Revising Budgets with Confidence
When Circumstances Change. Walk through a structured approach to enrollment changes, funding shifts, and unexpected expenses that keeps your school's priorities in view.
April 8: Building a Budget That Works
Bringing It All Together. Develop next year's budget using actual financial reports, historical trends, and enrollment projections, with a look at Lease Aid application best practices.
Meet your instructor, Julie Lundgren
Julie leads both the Series and the Cohort. She brings more than 20 years as a Minnesota charter school finance leader and serves today as a Chief Financial Officer. The strategies she shares have generated new revenue and strengthened financial stability at real schools, so more resources can reach the classroom.
Financial Management Cohort: go further with coaching
The cohort follows the same four trainings as the series and adds one-on-one coaching with Julie after each workshop. You bring your school's actual reports and enrollment figures, and across the year you build the models and templates your school will use every budget season. The result is a finance office better prepared to support the programs and people students rely on.
Who it's for
Beginning to mid-career charter school finance leaders, business managers, and anyone who handles the finances at a charter school, whether that is your whole job or one of several roles you fill. If you want your budget tools built around your own school, this cohort was designed with you in mind.
Your year at a glance
- Pre-course survey: Share where your school is today so discussion and coaching start from your situation.
- Revenue Strategies (October 8): Evaluate revenue ideas and build an investment plan for your school.
- Long-Range Financial Planning (December 10): Build a customizable five-year budget model with your own numbers.
- Revising Budgets with Confidence (February 11): Put a budget revision framework and conversation guides in place for leadership and board discussions.
- Building a Budget That Works (April 8): Develop next year's budget with a checklist, an MDE report guide, and templates.
- Coaching (between sessions): Meet one-on-one with Julie after each workshop to apply what you built to your school. Every session is recorded if you need to catch up.
What you'll take with you
- An investment planning template and resource guide
- A customizable five-year budget model
- A budget revision framework, plus vendor negotiation and expense reduction strategies
- A budget development checklist, a key MDE report guide, and budget templates ready for next year and every year after
- More confidence presenting projections to leadership and your board
Everything in the Financial Management Series, plus
The cohort includes all four live trainings, along with support that turns each session into lasting tools for your school.
- One-on-one coaching with Julie after each workshop
- Models and templates built with your school's own numbers
- A pre-course survey so coaching reflects your school's situation
- Recordings of every session
Enrollment is $2,750 per participant. Contact us for enrollment information, and we are glad to arrange an invoice or a payment plan if your school needs one.
Financial Expertise Consulting: CFO-level guidance for your school
Experienced financial leadership for school leaders and boards, scaled to your school's size and budget. We start with a focused review of your finances, then offer clear recommendations and ongoing support that keeps your resources focused on students.
Budgeting and forecasting
Annual budget development, multi-year forecasting, and cash flow planning, including adjustments when enrollment or revenue shifts.
Board financial reporting
Clear financial reports and training that help board members understand the numbers and make confident decisions.
Audits and compliance
Support in responding to audit findings and meeting state and authorizer requirements.
Facilities, leases, and bonds
Guidance on facilities financing, lease agreements, and bond obligations, along with your relationships with lenders and authorizers.
Leadership transitions and growth
Financial continuity during leadership changes and thoughtful planning as your school grows. We work alongside your business manager and finance staff and use your current systems whenever possible.
Start with a conversation
Not sure which option fits your school? We're glad to talk through your goals and help you find the right starting point.