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Our resource page is designed to provide you with helpful links and files that will make life easier in your business office. Be sure to check back often as we continue to update this page. Just click on the green button to check out these valuable resources!

Course materials here for CCSA SACS Account Code presentation:

Course materials for CCSA Growing Your Ending Fund Balance 

presentation


Each year, the California Education Audit Appeals Panel produces an audit guide that specifies your auditor's focus. It's really important your business office review this guide to ensure that these areas are in compliance. In 2014-15, our LCAP plans are now part of the audit so be sure to pay special attention to this area.  

You can download the entire CSAM (California School Accounting Manual) for free from this website. It's a big document so it might be worthwhile to just order a copy and have it mailed to you instead. Either way, this is the bible of school accounting. Note that there are separate chapters for each field of the SACS account code structure. It's best to keep those PDF files somewhere on your desktop until they become second nature to you. Click here for an overview of the SACS Account Code Structure. 

If you haven't already discovered the SSC Cat Wizard, be sure to bookmark this valuable resource. This is the "go-to" place to learn about funding sources and their complex rules and restrictions. You can search by the SACS resource number or by name if you don't know the number.  

If you know your Resource code but need to learn more about the funding source, this is the place to go to find out the latest and greatest. This is a great way to quickly find out the revenue Object code associated with any Resource code.  

Several times a year, CDE releases a new version of their SACS software. You'll have to download the latest version on your computer and make sure you have current validation tables. If not, you can download updates on this webpage as well.  

On November 14, 2014, the revised LCAP template was released.

As promised, charters and districts must link their LCAP goals with their actual expenditures. The easiest way to track your expenditures is to amend your current chart of accounts to capture your expense based on LCAP goals. One-site charters and small school districts should consider using their "site" field to track LCAP expenditures:


Simply assign a two-digit number to each of your existing LCAP goals and then apply that number to each of your expenditures. When it's time to submit your annual LCAP report, running a report from your financial system will be all that is needed for both your annual report and your auditors.



FCMAT has created a fabulous calculator to help you estimate not only your budget year but also the "out years" for your Multi-Year Projection. (MYP) Don't forget to download the manual that explains how to use the calculator!  

If you really want to run your own back office, you have to be committed to staying abreast of the many changes in school finance. Truthfully, the only way to do that in California is to be a client of School Services. Even as a small charter school, the cost to be an SSC client is reasonable and it provides you with a discount for all of their workshops. You simply have to attend these workshops in order to stay on top of the constant changes in school finance. SSC provides the "Dartboard" which is the bread and butter of your fiscal assumptions. They also provide daily fiscal briefs that can be emailed to you so you are constantly updated on key changes in our industry. Give them a call and ask for a quote for client services. You won't be disappointed.  

CASBO (California Association of School Business Officials) provides excellent training and support for the business office. Their workshops are taught by people that are working in our industry and are the very best at what they do. Be sure to check out their various workshops and think about areas that you need support or a little extra push. This is the place to go for your ongoing professional development in California school finance. 

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