Financial Reporting News & Information

2022–23 Budget and Interim Reports

2021–22 Unaudited Actuals

Standardized Account Code Structure (SACS)

Web Financial Reporting System

Version SACS V2
School Fiscal Services Division
Office of Financial Accountability and Information Services
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 3800
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-1770
sacsinfo@cde.ca.gov

WHAT’S NEW

Listed below is a summary of changes made to the 2021–22 budget and interim, and the 2020–21 unaudited actual, components of the Web System. We incorporate changes requested by users wherever possible; you may recognize one of your suggestions being implemented here.

This year our efforts were primarily focused on required changes (e.g., those due to Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement 87 [GASB 87]).

For additional information on each of the changes, refer to the relevant sections of this user guide.

REPORTING PROCESS

The SACS Web System reporting process begins with the LEA recording its financial transactions in the local financial system. The LEA transfers the information, either manually or electronically, from their financial system to the CDE SACS Web System. Additionally, the LEA manually enters certain supplemental information not already contained within their financial system (such as committed/assigned portions of ending fund balance). At this point, the LEA reviews the data for accuracy and completeness according to the technical review specifications established by the CDE. Once the data has passed the technical review checks and/or valid exceptions have been properly documented within the SACS Web System, reports are printed and signed by the LEA representative. The data is then submitted to the LEA’s reviewing agency, the COE [CDE], using the SACS Web System workflow process. For unaudited actual submissions only, the COEs submit and certify data to the CDE. The reviewing agency’s process of resolving exceptions varies by agency, but the process generally involves an interactive dialogue between the LEA and the reviewing agency.

Reporting Requirements/Due Dates

The SACS Web System User Guide provides the instructions for completing the budget, interim, and unaudited actuals report. Following is a recap of the reporting requirements for each report type, including due dates. For a complete list of the specific forms required for each reporting process, please see Attachment A—Forms and Reports in the SACS Web System.

All forms that require a certification require an original signature; “stamped” signatures are not acceptable. Designee signatures should only be used when indicated as allowable on the form. [For COEs only, facsimiles of originally signed budget or interim certification forms are acceptable.]

DATA PROCESSING SEQUENCE

All data input into the SACS Web System, either through the import process or manual entry, are stored in a database, enabling the system to extract directly from the database into each applicable form. General ledger and supplemental data is extracted into the fund, supplemental, and criteria and standards review forms, where applicable, limiting the amount of manual input to complete the forms.

Below is the recommended sequence for completing the reporting processes within the SACS Web System. While any order can be used, the following sequence will help to prevent you from receiving technical review exception messages simply because certain data has not yet been entered and/or verified. Detailed descriptions of each of the tasks involved begin in the User Data Input/Review section.

NOTES:

Please periodically check the web page:
“SACS2022 Software: Known Problems/Fixes” If any problems are found after a system release, we will list them on the web page or the SACS Web System dashboard and provide workaround instructions if applicable.

This SACS Web User Guide is written primarily for the modified accrual basis of accounting used in governmental funds. Where the guide also addresses the accrual basis of accounting used in proprietary funds, fiduciary funds, and the government-wide statements, general references to ending fund balances should be interpreted as referring also to ending net position.
Budget and Unaudited Actuals
Interims

IFCs (Internal Form Checks) Explained

Internal form checks (IFCs), like technical review checks (TRCs), are used to check for accuracy, completeness, and validity of the data. IFCs, however, check data within the forms rather than outside of the forms as does TRCs. Unlike TRCs, IFCs are not visible unless there is a condition that triggers the IFC. In most cases, when an IFC condition exists, text will display in red on the screen and on the printed form identifying the area in the form that needs attention, and an exception will occur upon running the Export TRC.

NOTE: Forms may be closed with outstanding IFC conditions giving the user an opportunity to research and correct problems.

For additional information about IFCs see the IFC Statuses section in the Forms section.

Tips for Using the Web System

The following sections provide guidelines to help users understand how data is contained and checked in the SACS Web System:

Database Versus Form

The SACS Web System is DATA based rather than FORM based. This means that the data is stored in one large database rather than in each individual form. The SACS Web System extracts the data from the database each time a form is opened. When data is changed either by import or manual input, each form that uses that data automatically reflects the change the next time the form is accessed.

Form Dependencies in the Technical Review Checklist

Forms that contain general ledger data or supplemental data from another form must be extracted, opened and saved when general ledger or supplemental data is changed. There is a technical review check to identify these occurrences. See Attachment E — Form Dependencies for a list of the form dependencies.

Automatic Form Tracking

The SACS Web System automatically displays the available forms based upon the current LEA and reporting period. For example, for a JPA, only those forms applicable to a JPA, based upon the reporting period, are available. See Attachment A for a complete list of forms.

Data Types

Data are tracked as one of three types in the SACS Web System:

Imported—Data imported from LEA’s accounting system. Once imported, general ledger data cannot be manually changed within the SACS Web System. Changes to imported data must be made in the source system and reimported into the SACS Web System.
EXCEPTIONS: Components of ending fund balance/net position data may be added or modified through the Components of Ending Fund Balance/Net Position screen. In addition, in the interim periods, imported Projected Year Totals general ledger data may be modified in the User Data Input/Review screen.
Calculated—Calculations are made during import, upon closing the User Data Input screen, within the Components of Ending Fund Balance/Net Position, and within the forms. Calculated data cannot be modified directly; instead, the source data used in the calculations must be changed.
Entered—General ledger or supplemental data keyed by the user. Entered data may be changed at any time. Calculations dependent on entered data are automatically changed when affected forms are opened and saved.

Data Entry

Data are entered using the following rules in the SACS Web System:

No +/ Signs for Normal Balances Values with normal balances do not display plus or minus signs. When a value is opposite of what is expected, it is displayed within parentheses. Exception: The accumulated depreciation contra-asset accounts (objects 9425, 9435, and 9445) are reported as debit accounts with their credit balances displayed as negatives. Please refer to the 2019 edition of the CSAM, Appendix B, for more information.
Clear Cell Value—Extracted Values To clear a cell where its value is extracted but can be overwritten (e.g., the CASH and 01CS forms), you must enter a zero in the cell. If extracted cells are cleared by pressing the Delete key rather than entering zero, the original value may be re extracted when the form is opened, overwriting the deletions every time the form is reopened.
Entering Cents; Rounding Cents All dollar values display in the SACS Web System with two decimal places; whole numbers will automatically have .00 added to them. Numbers that have been rounded to the nearest dollar may be imported into the SACS Web System, but the data must still pass all the technical review checks, most of which have a $10 rounding allowance.

NOTE: If importing rounded numbers, please ensure the numbers were actually rounded and not simply truncated.

APPENDENCIES

Attachment A — Forms and Reports in the SACS Financial Reporting Software

Attachment B — SACS Import Module Specifications

Attachment C — SACS Supplemental (Named Elements) Specifications

Attachment D — LEA Custom Info (Named Elements) Import Specifications

Attachment E — Form Dependencies

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