What do you do if you’re an educator and you think the system you’re in, the schools you’re working in and the experience your students are having could all be…well, better?

If you’re Samantha Trice, you start a better school.

“I wanted to do what I believed in,” says Trice. “I didn’t want somebody with a business degree to boss me around who didn’t align with my values.”

In the heart of Jersey City, a remarkable transformation took place when Trice founded Hamilton Park Montessori School in 2006. The school has grown from a modest beginning with less than ten students to a thriving educational community of over 300. Trice’s passion for education, coupled with her dedication to her diverse community, and resilient persistence laid the foundation for a school that truly mirrors the communities the school serves. And yet, Trice keeps it simple.

“This is not a hard business model,” she says. “It’s the amount of tuition you bring in, then you subtract salaries, rent and operating costs. And you see what your reserves are.” Her ability to get to the essence of it all is what’s helped drive and cultivate a school that’s driven by authenticity. “Our dream is to not have tuition be a barrier for any family,” Trice says. To do that according to her vision meant transitioning from an LLC to a not-for profit.

Why Hamilton Montessori School Engaged a Part-Time CFO

The engagement of a part-time CFO by Hamilton Park Montessori School was a strategic decision to navigate their financial complexities and growth trajectory. They needed expert financial guidance to manage this significant change as well as realign financials from some past practices. “We truly needed somebody to help us look at the numbers,” Trice says. “I don’t have the skill set to take on or to question the work of a CPA. The work Sunny’s doing now is helping us fulfill this dream of that sliding scale [where tuition is not a barrier].”

The Value of ProCFO Partners to Hamilton Park Montessori School

“Working with Sunny has given us a lot of confidence in things that I would have been much more conservative about,” Samantha shares. “And the board is very conservative, too. So Sunny coming in has given us a lot of confidence, to take risks that have real benefits.”

Sunny Sharma is the ProCFO working with Hamilton Park Montessori, and he’s been instrumental for Trice and the school to visualize and actualize their potential. For Trice especially, his leadership has been essential. “The amount of stress that working with Sunny has taken off me, I’m able to do the fun stuff and the passionate stuff,” Trice explains. “It’s just really exciting. And it’s made the switch to a not-for-profit exciting and rewarding.”

Create The Next

An advantage of ProCFO Partners is its broad and deep network of expert, experienced CFOs. It helps organizations like Hamilton Park Montessori School create the next version of its business.

ProCFO Partners and CFOs like Sunny Sharma connect and align with the needs and requirements for businesses to grow, shift, or – like with Hamilton Park Montessori School – transition and transform to new ideas and aspirations. Let’s work together on your future.