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2026 CFO, School, and Parent Research

K-12 Student Activity Funds: Fraud Risk and Perceptions

New data on the time, money, and risk of managing K-12 school activity funds
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For the full picture, go HERE for the US + Canada data.

Key Insights in This Report

Most district finance leaders are confident in their approach. But school staff and parents see the cracks.
 
These cracks have a real cost, paid in staff hours, risk, and the trust of families who can't see where their money goes. This report shows what it really costs to keep money moving and how to improve the system for everyone.

There’s a paradox at the heart of K-12 finance

83% of district CFOs say their current approach protects both the money and the people handling it. But ask the same CFOs to rate their district's financial risk, and six in ten call it moderate or higher. Same respondents, same survey — two answers that don't add up.

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Financial incidents are the norm, not the exception

99% of districts report at least one funds-related incident in the past three years, including one in five that faced a legal claim or lawsuit. 63% of schools and 52% of parents report the same. This isn't a story about bad actors. It's a systemic gap that touches nearly every district in the US.

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Districts, schools, and parents all want the same thing

Ask each group separately and the answer comes back the same: one place to see every dollar as it moves, from the school floor to the district office. Today, only 29% of districts have that, real-time visibility into student balances. Close that gap, and CFO confidence jumps from 38% to 88%.

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