Everything your school needs to run well — without hiring a full operations team.
VAO provides hands-on, embedded operations support across finance, HR, compliance, and systems, scoped to your school's size, stage, and mission. Whether you need a full operational buildout or targeted support in one area, we meet you where you are.
We do the work.
Six areas of support. One consistent partner.
Day-to-day bookkeeping, monthly financial reporting, and the fiscal infrastructure that keeps your school solvent, board-ready, and audit-clean all year long.
Includes- Accounts payable and vendor payments
- Monthly bank and credit card reconciliations
- Financial statements: Balance Sheet, Budget vs. Actual, Statement of Activities
- CDE Chart of Accounts coding and compliance
- Budget development and multi-year forecasting
- Cash flow monitoring and reserve planning
- Audit preparation and documentation
- Grant writing and reporting
- Board and authorizer financial reporting
Accurate, on-time payroll with full tax compliance, HRIS setup, and all the filings handled. Your staff gets paid correctly, on time, every time. You stay compliant and audit-ready.
Includes- Payroll system selection, configuration, and tax setup
- Running scheduled payroll and remitting withholding
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax filings
- PERA and retirement plan administration
- Quarterly and annual filings (W-2, 1099, 941)
- PTO, holiday, and leave policy configuration
- Payroll records and audit files
- FAMLI registration and compliance
- Garnishments, deductions, and off-cycle payroll processing
HR systems that protect your team and reflect your values from onboarding to offboarding, benefits to labor law. Built for Colorado's specific requirements.
Includes- Employee Handbook development (HFWA, Equal Pay, Colorado statutes)
- Offer letters, job descriptions, and employment agreements
- Onboarding and offboarding systems (I-9, W-4, background checks)
- Benefits administration and workers' compensation
- Hiring workflows and staff management support
- HR systems design and optimization
- Authorizer compliance management
- Ongoing HR consultation and employee relations
A comprehensive operational buildout for new or transitioning schools. Everything you need to employ staff, manage finances, and operate compliantly from day one.
Includes- Entity and employer registration (EIN, CDOR, CDLE, etc)
- Accounting software setup
- Budget classes, departments, and cost centers
- HRIS and payroll platform implementation
- Financial policies and operational procedures
- Insurance procurement support (liability, D&O, workers' comp)
- Vendor systems and procurement frameworks
- Internal controls and standard operating procedures
Operational support for schools navigating the charter application process or preparing for Year 0, building the systems and documentation that authorizers expect before you open.
Includes- Charter application operational exhibits and required policies
- Personnel, financial, and governance policy development
- Authorizer-aligned systems and documentation
- Y0 operational readiness planning
- Long-range financial modeling and enrollment scenarios
- Grant writing support
- General consulting on school structure and direction
- Startup systems aligned with long-term charter implementation
VAO can serve as Employer of Record for your school's staff, or support schools that retain their own EOR. Staff become private employees of VAO rather than public employees of the school board, giving schools more flexibility in how they structure compensation, benefits, and employment relationships.
What this means for your school- Staff are employed by VAO, a private employer, rather than by the school board
- More flexibility in compensation, benefits, and employment structure
- Board removed from direct employment administration while retaining full control over staffing and culture
- Smaller and newer schools can offer employment infrastructure they couldn't build independently
- VAO also supports schools that retain their own EOR, providing payroll, HR, and compliance within that structure
Scoped to your school. Not a standard package.
Every VAO engagement is built around your school's specific stage, size, and operational needs. Engagements typically take one of three forms, and most schools use a combination over time.
VAO becomes your embedded operations partner, handling day-to-day financial operations, payroll, HR, and compliance on an ongoing basis. Think of it as senior operations leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. Scoped by school size and operational complexity.
Typically structured as a monthly retainer. Most schools start here and expand services over time.Need targeted advice on a specific challenge, or a defined-scope engagement to build a specific operational area? VAO is available hourly for consulting on finance, HR, compliance, or operations questions. No retainer required. Also used for full systems buildouts, employee handbook development, audit prep, charter application support, and Y0 planning.
Available hourly or as a flat-fee project. Common for new schools, those in transition, and organizations with a specific challenge to solve.VAO serves as the legal Employer of Record for your school's staff, with the board contracting with VAO for employment services. VAO also supports schools that retain their own EOR, providing payroll, HR, and compliance services within that structure.
Scoped based on number of employees and services required. Structured as a formal board contract.Not sure which engagement type is right for your school? That's exactly what a first conversation is for. We'll figure out together what makes sense — no pressure, no commitment.
Schedule a conversation
Signs you might be ready for an operations partner.
VAO works best with schools and organizations that are doing meaningful, community-centered work and need a partner who's as invested in their success as they are.
You're spending time on payroll, compliance, and bookkeeping that should be going to students and staff.
You're opening a new school and need operational systems built before opening day, not after.
You're transitioning off CMO or shared-services support and need to build independent operational infrastructure.
You need targeted advice on a specific challenge, finance, HR, compliance, or operations, without a long-term commitment.
You want your staff to be private employees of VAO rather than public employees of the school board, with more flexibility in compensation and employment structure.
You have an audit, renewal, or authorizer review coming up and your systems aren't where they need to be.
You're applying for a charter or planning for Year 0 and need operational expertise alongside your educational vision.
- Staff become private employees rather than public employees, giving schools more flexibility in how they structure compensation, benefits, and employment relationships
- Removes the school's board from direct employment administration while maintaining full control over staffing decisions and school culture
- Allows smaller or newer schools to offer employment infrastructure they couldn't otherwise build independently
- VAO also supports schools that retain their own EOR, providing payroll, HR, and compliance services within that structure