Finance
10 minutes

How to Track School Expenses

Record expenses, categorize spending, and generate financial reports.

In this guide

  1. 1Go to Expenses
  2. 2Add an expense
  3. 3AI receipt scanning
  4. 4Categorize spending
  5. 5Generate expense reports
1

Go to Expenses

Click "Expenses" in the sidebar. You'll see a list of all recorded expenses with filters for date, category, and amount.

2

Add an expense

Click "Add Expense" and enter the details: amount, date, category, vendor/payee, and description. You can also upload a photo of the receipt.

3

AI receipt scanning

Upload a photo or PDF of a receipt. The AI automatically extracts the vendor name, amount, date, and category — saving you from manual data entry.

4

Categorize spending

Use categories like Supplies, Utilities, Maintenance, Transportation, and Technology to organize expenses for clear reporting.

5

Generate expense reports

Go to Expenses → Reports to see spending summaries by category, time period, or vendor. Export reports as PDF or Excel for accounting purposes.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Upload receipts right away so you don't lose them.
  • Use consistent expense categories for accurate financial reporting.
  • Review expense reports monthly to stay within budget.
  • Agree your category list before the school year starts, then leave it stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

The AI extracts vendor, amount, date and a suggested category from a photo or PDF, and presents them for you to confirm before saving. Treat it as a first draft that removes typing rather than a replacement for checking — always confirm the amount against the receipt.

You can upload a photo taken on a phone or a PDF. Photographing a paper receipt at the point of purchase is usually the most reliable habit, because it captures the record before the receipt is lost or fades.

Yes. Expenses → Reports summarises spending by category, time period or vendor. This is what makes consistent categorisation worth the discipline: the report is only as useful as the categories underneath it.

Yes. Reports export as PDF or Excel, which covers most external bookkeeping workflows. Export at the end of each month rather than at year end, so discrepancies surface while the detail is still fresh.

Access follows role permissions — typically administrators, accountants and school owners. Teachers do not have visibility of school expense records, so financial data stays within the finance and leadership team.

Expenses and fee income both feed the finance overview, so you can see money in against money out rather than tracking each in isolation. See the fee management guide for the income side of that picture.

Related Guides

How to Manage Student Fees & Invoices

Create fee structures, generate invoices, and track payments.

How to Process Payroll

Set up salary structures, run payroll, and generate payslips.

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