Financial Services

Background

CSI has been providing financial and accounting services to Arizona’s charter schools since 2000. Our clients are among the most successful schools in the state of Arizona.

CSI’s financial professionals have a combined 40+ years of government accounting experience, including eight years with the Michigan State and the Arizona State Auditor Generals Office, and more than 15 years combined experience each with DOE, ADE, and the ASCSB.

Our financial professionals consist of two Certified Public Accountants, a Certified Internal Auditor, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and an MBA. One of our professionals currently instructs at the university level, and worked for four years as a senior auditor for major NYSE companies.

Through the quality of our work, and the guidance we offer our clients, we have earned the trust and respect of many in the state auditing community. By providing this level of expertise, you can be certain that the financial and compliance needs of your school will be attended to properly.

What we do

We offer a comprehensive menu of financial services designed to meet our client’s needs. Our goal is to assist you, so our services can be utilized separately or combined to supplement your existing staff.

Whether you need assistance with a one time project like audit preparation, or you are looking for ongoing monthly services, CSI will collaborate with your team to tailor a package that compliments the strengths of your organization.

How we work

CSI’s methodology is built upon the belief that our clients must remain informed and in control of their financial situation at all times. We do not promote vendor dependence, but rather work with our clients to establish consistent and sustainable internal competencies. As our relationship with our clients grows, they rely less on our services and more on their own organization.

To accomplish this, CSI professionals will work with your staff to establish a complete accounting system. This system includes; hardware, software (QuickBooks), connectivity, recommended organizational structure, job responsibilities, processes, and staff training.

Once your school’s accounting system is in place, our professionals will work with your staff to ensure that daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial and compliance matters are attended to.

Generally, your staff will receive bills and invoices, enter them into the accounting system, pay bills, cut checks, and make deposits.

CSI professionals provide support and oversight which includes; inspection of coding, reconciling bank accounts monthly, closing periods, producing reports for school administration and governing board, and dealing directly with the school’s auditor and regulatory agencies. In addition to these monthly responsibilities CSI will oversee; budget creation, submission and control, cash flows, AFR creation and submission, and other reporting functions.

Through this process, our clients remain in the driver’s seat, by being able to conduct business and secure information as needed. Since all financial work is CPA reviewed, and meets GAAP and GASB standards (when applicable), our clients can trust the information in their accounting system.

Bottom line: CSI provides resources for the BUSINESS of education.

Benefits

Charter school operators are in the “education” business. However with increased compliance requirements most operators are finding that they are now in the “paperwork” business as well.

By utilizing CSI’s compliance services you can spend more time focusing on your primary line of work, without compromising operational integrity. Here are just a few of the benefits that your organization could realize:

• Improved quality of operation
  It would make little sense to hire staff with high level financial qualifications. By utilizing CSI’s services, you have the benefit of and access to that caliber of employee, without the significant cost of employment.

• Increased focus on your schools core competencies
  Successful schools are built and maintained by focusing on activities that continually improve academic performance. These are the areas within your organization where an investment of your time will make the greatest impact. By utilizing CSI’s services, you can focus on what you do best without losing control of the rest.

• Save time and money
  Our highly skilled team of professionals is only focused on the financial matters of our clients. Their skill brings with it efficiency, and a substantial knowledge base to draw from. Most financial tasks can be completed in a fraction of the time it would take a school staff member who is less experienced and would be constantly pulled away from the task. By utilizing CSI’s services your financial tasks will be completed faster and more accurately, and your staff will be free to focus on other important areas of business.

• Increased staff flexibility
  Most members of your staff already wear multiple hats. It’s not just a best practice to cross train, it’s a necessity. However, many wonderful employees/applicants do not possess the accounting background or aptitude necessary to meet the schools financial needs. By utilizing CSI’s financial services you will have a wider range of more suitable applicants to choose from, and your current staff members will be better able to cover other pressing needs as they arise.

• Significantly increased business continuity
  Within every organization, there are members whose departure leaves a hole that cannot be easily filled. If the hole is centered on financial matters, it can have a catastrophic effect on an organizations ability to move forward. By utilizing CSI’s financial services your school’s financial matters will always be consistently attended to, regardless of changes in your staff. We will even train your incoming employees as it relates to their financial job functions.