SACS2008ALL Software: Known Problems/Fixes

Problem: Form 01CSI – Interim Period Criteria and Standards Review Form, Criterion 3 (County only) (Posted 12/15/08)

There are two separate, but similar, problems in the Salaries and Benefits Criterion, Section 3A of the Interim period Criteria and Standards Review form:

1. When budget adoption data do not exist, the amount entered on the Current Year row of the Budget Adoption column for first interim (First Interim column for second interim) does not display after saving, closing, and reopening the form.
2. When Form MYPI data do not exist, the amounts entered on the 1st and 2nd Subsequent Year rows of the First Interim column for first interim (Second Interim column for second interim) do not display after saving, closing, and reopening the form.

Fix: Save (do not open) the revised csi-c template file – (VTS; Revised 10-Dec-2008) to a temporary folder such as C:\SACS2008ALL\Temporary. To save, right click on the file name, click on Save Link As (or Save Target As), select (or create) the desired folder in which to save the file, then click Save. Once the file has been saved, copy the file from the Temporary folder into your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder. Upon copying the file to the Templates folder, a message will display that the file already exists; select Yes to overwrite the existing template file with the revised file.

To verify that you have replaced the old csi-c.vts file, the date on the new template file in your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder should be the same as or later than the revised date above (the file may have the date it was downloaded). Changing this file will not affect your data, other than to correctly display it.

Problem: Form 40I – Special Reserve Fund for Capital Outlay Projects, Object 7612 (Posted 12/9/08)

The line for Object 7612, To: General Fund/CSSF, does not display in the Interfund Transfers Out section on the interim Fund 40 form.

Fix: Save (do not open) this revised fundi-d template file – (VTS; 2MB; Revised 04-Dec-2008) to a temporary folder such as C:\SACS2008ALL\Temporary. To save, right click on the file name, click on Save Link As (or Save Target As), select (or create) the desired folder in which to save the file, then click Save. Once saved, then copy the file from the Temporary folder into your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder. Upon copying the file to the Templates folder, a message will display that the file already exists; select Yes to overwrite the existing template file with the revised file. To verify that you have replaced the old fundi-d.vts file, the date on the new template file in your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder should be the same as or later than the revised date above (the file may have the date it was downloaded). Changing this file will not affect your data, other than to correctly display the line for Object 7612 on Form 40I. 

Problem: Technical Review Check (TRC) CS-EXPLANATIONS, Interim Periods (Posted 12/4/08)

Exceptions for Section 6C (4C for counties), lines 1a and 1b in the CS-EXPLANATIONS TRC do not always clear properly even though explanations are provided in Section 6A (4A) of the Criteria and Standards Review (Form 01CSI).  

Workaround: Enter an explanation in each of the boxes in Section 6A (4A) of the Criteria and Standards Review (Form 01CSI), even though the items may have met the standard.

OR

Fix:  Save (do not open) the revised program file SACS2008.exe ( EXE; 3MB; Revised 26-Nov-08) to your C:\SACS2008ALL directory. To save, right click on the file name, click on Save Link As (or Save Target As), select the desired directory in which to save the file, then click Save. After saving the file, verify that you have the updated file by opening the SACS2008ALL software, clicking on the Help menu, then selecting About SACS2008ALL – the version should be 2008.2.1. Once verified, run the TRC to clear the exception.

Problem: Form MYPI – Interim Period Multiyear Projections, Unrestricted/Restricted worksheet, Recommended Reserves section (County Only) (Posted 11/3/08)

The County Office’s Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses amounts on Line F2, columns C and E, are not calculating correctly.

Fix: Save (do not open) the revised mypi template file – (VTS; Revised 28-Oct-08) to a temporary folder such as C:\SACS2008ALL\Temporary. To save, right click on the file name, click on Save Link As (or Save Target As), select (or create) the desired folder in which to save the file, then click Save. Once the file has been saved, copy the file from the Temporary folder into your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder. Upon copying the file to the Templates folder, a message will display that the file already exists; select Yes to overwrite the existing template file with the revised file. To verify that you have replaced the old mypi.vts file, the date on the new template file in your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder should be the same as or later than the revised date above (the file may have the date it was downloaded). Changing the file will not affect your data, other than to correctly calculate the County Office’s Total Expenditures and Other Financing Uses.

Problem: Report GSNA, Government-wide Statement of Net Assets, Reconciliation of the Governmental Funds Balance Sheet to the Statement of Net Assets (Posted 11/3/08)

The amount for Object 9664, Net OPEB Obligation, reported in CE014, Incorporation of Assets and Liabilities of Internal Service Funds, of the conversion entry detail (DETAIL) worksheet of Report ENTRY is incorrectly extracting into the “Long-term liabilities” section of the Report GSNA Reconciliation worksheet. This results in an incorrect calculation of “Total net assets, governmental activities” in the GSNA Reconciliation worksheet, which consequently will not agree with “Total net assets” for governmental activities in the Government-wide Statement of Net Assets worksheet.

Workaround: Make a pencil change to the “Net OPEB Obligation” amount in the Long-term liabilities section, as well as the long-term liabilities “Total” line and the “Total net assets” line, of the GSNA Reconciliation, reducing them by the amount reported in CE014 (Fund 67, Object 9664). NOTE: No adjusting entries are necessary. Next year the GSNA Reconciliation worksheet will be changed to fix the problem.

Problem: Report SEMB – Special Education Maintenance of Effort, 2008–09 Budget vs. 2007–08 Actual Comparison (Posted 8/15/08)

In the “BUDGET – Local Sources” section of the 2008–09 Budget by SELPA (SB-B) worksheet and the “EXPENDITURES – Paid from Local Sources” section of the 2007–08 Expenditures by SELPA (SE-B) worksheet, the “TOTAL COSTS” rows do not include the amounts for objects 8091 and 8099, Revenue Limit Transfers to Special Education.

Fix: Save (do not open) this revised semb template file – (VTS; Revised 11-Aug-08) to a temporary folder such as C:\SACS2008ALL\Temporary. To save, right click on the file name, click on Save Link As (or Save Target As), select (or create) the desired folder in which to save the file, then click Save. Once saved, then copy the file from the Temporary folder into your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder. Upon copying the file to the Templates folder, a message will display that the file already exists; select Yes to overwrite the existing template file with the revised file. To verify that you have replaced the old semb.vts file, the date on the new template file in your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder should be the same as or later than the revised date above (the file may have the date it was downloaded). Saving this file will not affect your data, other than to correctly calculate the “TOTAL COSTS” row.

Problem: Report SEMAI – Special Education Maintenance of Effort, 2008–09 Projected Expenditures vs. 2007–08 Actual Expenditures Comparison (Posted 8/15/08)

In the “LOCAL ACTUAL EXPENDITURES” section of the 2007–08 Actual Expenditures by LEA (LA-I) worksheet, the “PROJECTED EXPENDITURES – Local Sources” section of the 2008–09 Projected Expenditures by SELPA (SP-I) worksheet, and the “ACTUAL EXPENDITURES – Paid from Local Sources” section of the 2007–08 Actual Expenditures by SELPA (SA-I) worksheet, the “TOTAL COSTS” rows do not include the amounts for objects 8091 and 8099, Revenue Limit Transfers to Special Education.

Fix: Save (do not open) this revised semai template file – (VTS; Revised 11-Aug-08) to a temporary folder such as C:\SACS2008ALL\Temporary. To save, right click on the file name, click on Save Link As (or Save Target As), select (or create) the desired folder in which to save the file, then click Save. Once saved, then copy the file from the Temporary folder into your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder. Upon copying the file to the Templates folder, a message will display that the file already exists; select Yes to overwrite the existing template file with the revised file. To verify that you have replaced the old semai.vts file, the date on the new template file in your C:\SACS2008ALL\Templates folder should be the same as or later than the revised date above (the file may have the date it was downloaded). Saving this file will not affect your data, other than to correctly calculate the “TOTAL COSTS” row.

Problem: Report CNVRT, Conversion from Governmental Funds to Governmental Activities (Posted 8/15/08)

Amounts for Object 8096, Transfers to Charter Schools in Lieu of Property Taxes, are not extracting into the Fund Consolidation which subsequently extract into the Conversion Worksheet. If applicable, this will cause an incorrect calculation of “General revenues” and, consequently, an incorrect amount for “Change in net assets” in Report GSA, Government-wide Statement of Activities.

Workaround: In the Report CNVRT “Conversion Worksheet” tab, “General Revenues” section, “Federal and State Aid Not Restricted to Specific Purposes” row, “Other Worksheet Adjustments” column, enter the total amount for Object 8096 from funds 01, 03, and 09, and resources 0000–1999. Note: Adjustments to the Fund Consolidation are not necessary at this time. Changes will be made to both the Fund Consolidation and the Conversion Worksheet next year to fix this problem.

Problem: Form TRAN – Annual Report of Pupil Transportation, Schedule II, Line K (Posted 7/30/08)

Indirect costs on Line K of SCHEDULE II include indirect costs on the Object 5100 expenditures reported on Line C5 and included in Line J. Since the California School Accounting Manual (CSAM) provides that Object 5100 costs are not eligible costs on which the indirect cost rate is applied (CSAM, pages 330-21, 915-7, and 915-9), net pupil transportation expense might be overstated.

Workaround: We have elected not to revise Form TRAN for 2007–08.  We realize this might overstate the net pupil transportation expense on Line L for a few local educational agencies (LEAs). This will not harm any LEA and we believe it is unlikely to harm the state transportation program either. The California Department of Education will review, on a case-by-case basis, the costs reported on Line L and revise them as needed.

Problem: Run-time Error 429

Periodically, the required Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) file is not properly installed on Windows 98 machines, causing a run-time error 429 upon opening the Standardized Account Code Structure (SACS) software.

Fix: Be sure all other applications are closed, then download this MDAC file: mdactyp (EXE; 7MB). Once downloaded, double-click on the file to begin installation (be sure to read the prompts thoroughly). When the installation is completed, the SACS software should open properly.