Audit, Tax & Consulting for Private Schools
Independent schools face many challenges in maintaining financial stability, and school leaders and board members must develop strategies and focus to deal with these issues effectively.
AAFCPAs’ independent school clients keep their core educational mission at the forefront, with a focus on serving students in the best way possible. However, we understand the limitations on tuition and the need to establish other revenue generating programs. Many of our clients have instituted successful non-tuition revenue streams, such as: real estate holdings, facility rentals, overseas sister schools, expanded summer programs, adult education, tutorial centers, teacher institutes, and online curriculum.
Our extensive experience within the education industry makes us uniquely qualified to serve you. We understand the unique accounting and operational aspects of independent schools, including seasonal cash flow, financial aid, student loans, facilities management, and more.
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John Buckley
Thomas Muldoon
Proactive Guidance to Independent Schools
In addition to assurance and tax, AAFCPAs provides proactive guidance on areas critical to the success of our independent school clients, including:
Revenue Recognition Support
Assistance with properly recognizing tuition, fees, and contributions in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
Functional Expense Allocation
Guidance on allocating costs between programs and supporting services to ensure accurate and compliant reporting.
Endowment Management
Advisory on income allocation and accounting for endowments, including oversight of alternative investment vehicles.
Operational Efficiency
Recommendations for reducing overhead and optimizing your school’s operating cost structure.
Facility Financing Advisory
Support with real estate acquisition, debt structuring, and long-term capital planning.
Non-Tuition Revenue Strategies
Insights into ancillary revenue opportunities—such as camps, extended-day programs, and facility rentals—while advising on cost allocation to minimize tax exposure.
Board and Trustee Education
Training and consultation to help leadership understand and fulfill their financial oversight responsibilities.
Internal Control Optimization
Recommendations for internal controls, particularly in auxiliary programs such as after-school and summer offerings.
Capital Campaign Advisory
Review of fundraising collateral to ensure alignment between your messaging, donor intent, and accounting treatment.
Strategic Accounting and Advisory Services for Educational Institutions
AAFCPAs serves diverse education clients spanning independent schools, higher education, charter schools and charter management organizations, and chapter 766 schools. AAFCPAs understands the education industry and its particular business and operational challenges, including funding and regulatory issues. We provide pragmatic recommendations beyond compliance, guided by you and the strategic interests of your institution.
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We look forward to speaking with you to determine how we may best solve your needs. A firm representative will reach out to you within one business day. Looking for additional ways to reach us? Visit our Contact Page. >>