The Systems Problem
Most of the tools used to manage activity funds were never designed for them or were built decades before GASB 84 was even a thought. As a result, schools often try to fit modern compliance and transparency standards into systems designed for something else entirely.
The irony is that oversight and transparency shouldn’t mean complexity. The best systems are intuitive. If the system requires days of training, it’s the wrong system.
When systems are clear, consistent, and easy to use, everyone wins. Staff spend less time fixing mistakes and more time supporting students. The right systems make compliance stronger and work easier.
The best systems are intuitive. If the system requires days of training, it’s the wrong system.
The Human Problem
Activity funds rely on people who rarely have financial training. Advisors are teachers first, focused on the students and programs. Clerks and principals do their best to be organized, but neither group typically comes from a financial background. They’re managing money on top of everything else, often with tools that make the job harder than it has to be.
To be clear, your people are not the problem. The systems are.
Most existing solutions were built for accountants, when schools need effective systems built for non-accountants. Tools that make sense to the people who use them every day.
When the tools are simple and supportive, people build confidence. And when people are confident, they use the tools.
The Opportunity
I often say, “Activity funds are the best financial literacy tool you aren’t using.” And for most school districts, it’s true.
Every fundraiser, purchase, and budget decision is a chance for students to learn about money, responsibility, and trust. These aren’t simulated classroom activities; they’re real transactions with real dollars, and they have real consequences that directly impact their program.
When students participate, they see how planning, approvals, and accountability work in practice. They build confidence, take ownership, and start to see how money is managed responsibly. When students own the process, they make better decisions —not just about money, but also about leadership, teamwork, and integrity.
I am not suggesting you give the students the checkbooks and walk away. Student involvement doesn’t mean less oversight; it means better oversight. It means giving students a structured, transparent system where they can learn to make responsible financial decisions under the guidance of adults who review, approve, and support every step.
Where to Start: If your district is still using spreadsheets or paper forms to track activity funds, begin by mapping your current process. Identify where confusion or bottlenecks happen—approvals, deposits, or reporting. Then look for tools and workflows that make those steps simpler and more transparent, not more complicated. The goal isn’t to add software; it’s to remove friction so compliance and learning can happen side by side.
Everyone’s Problem — and Everyone’s Opportunity
Activity funds touch every part of a school district. They involve students, advisors, school clerks, principals, and business officials. They’re not just a school-level responsibility or a district-level responsibility; they’re a shared responsibility.
But they’re also a shared opportunity. When systems offer clarity, transparency, and the right level of oversight, everyone wins. Schools stay compliant, districts remain informed, and students gain hands-on experience managing real money with real accountability.
That’s what happens when your activity funds are managed right —students learn, and everyone else might get a little smarter about money too.