Sahel EDU

Managing a school’s cash: expenses, the daily cash desk, closing and oversight

A school cash desk rarely goes wrong through dishonesty; more often an expense is not noted, a voucher is lost, and the difference appears weeks later with nobody able to explain it. With Sahel EDU, school cash management software, each expense is recorded with its voucher, the daily cash desk opens and closes with a frozen difference, and the head reads the result without chasing the bursar.

The rules that prevent cash differences

Managing a school’s cash comes down to applying a few simple rules every day, in the same way. Schools with no differences almost always follow the same ones.

These rules hold whatever the medium, notebook, spreadsheet or software.

Open the cash desk each day with a known float that has been noted.
Record every receipt and every payment at the moment it happens, with its voucher.
Count the money present at closing and compare it with what should be there.
Never erase an entry: an error is corrected by a cancellation with a reason.
Keep cash desks of different kinds apart, such as the parents’ association’s.
Have the result read by someone other than the person who keeps the cash.

Why a school cash desk goes wrong

In most schools, the cash is kept in a notebook by one person, who takes in money, spends it and counts it. Oversight comes late, when it comes at all.

An urgent expense is only noted several days later, from memory.
Supporting vouchers pile up in a drawer, with no link to the entries.
The parents’ association’s cash gets mixed with the school’s.
The head only sees the result at the end of the month, with no way back to the source of a difference.

Recording an expense with its voucher

The accountant and the management record each expense with its category, purpose, payee, amount, means of payment and voucher number. Larger purchases can go through a purchase order subject to double approval, and payments to suppliers or discharge slips are kept with their documents.

An expense is never erased. If it is wrong, it is cancelled with a reason, and the cancellation stays visible in the history.

Category, purpose, payee, amount and means of payment appear on each line.
The voucher number links the expense to its supporting document.
A cancellation requires a reason and deletes nothing.
Purchase orders can be subject to double approval.
Entry of expenses and suppliers is kept on the phone when the network drops, then sent when the connection returns.
Expenses can be exported by category as CSV, Excel or PDF.

The daily cash desk: opening, closing and a frozen difference

The daily cash desk opens with a float. During the day, cash received is added and cash spent is taken off. At closing, the person enters the amount counted, and the software compares it with the expected amount: the float, add cash received, subtract cash spent, all on the school’s local day.

The difference is then frozen. Once the cash desk is closed, nothing can be added or cancelled, and nobody can adjust the result afterwards.

The expected amount is calculated by itself, with no retyping.
The difference between counted and expected is kept as it is.
A closed cash desk is locked.
Separate cash desks exist for the parents’ association and for exams.
A quarterly report is provided for the parents’ association.

What the head sees, and the limits of the feature

“The month at a glance” gives money in, money out and the balance, with the detail by category. The proprietor has a read-only “Money” page showing the receipts, spending and balance of the last six months, with closed cash desks and their differences. It is protected by two-step sign-in.

This feature tracks the school’s money; it is not an online payment and does not replace full accounting, which is done in the Accounting screen.

The difference is recorded, not explained: it is up to the school to look for the cause.
The right to record expenses belongs to the accountant and the management.
The proprietor reads the figures without being able to change them.
The cash desk controls only cash; other means of payment are recorded but are not part of the count.
Tracking assumes that each expense is really entered the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Can an expense entered by mistake be deleted?

No. An expense is cancelled with a reason and stays visible in the history, which keeps the cash desk verifiable.

How is the expected amount in the cash desk calculated?

It is the opening float, with cash received added and cash spent subtracted, on the school’s local day.

What happens to the difference once the cash desk is closed?

It is frozen. No expense can be added or cancelled in a closed cash desk.

Is the parents’ association’s cash mixed with the school’s?

No. Separate cash desks exist for the parents’ association and for exams.

Can we try it before committing?

Yes. The free trial lasts 30 days, with no commitment. The price is then negotiated with each school and can be read on the Pricing page.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

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