Changing Account Structure

Note:  The Change Account Structure option is only available to users who are set up as a supervisor.  All other users should be logged out of the School Accounting System when completing the Change Account Structure option.

1. From the General Ledger screen, select the Maintenance menu and then Chart of Accounts.

Note:  If applicable, all the account numbers entered within the Crosswalk Account Numbers option must be posted in order to access the Change Account Structure option.

2. At the Chart of Accounts screen, select the Options menu and then Change Account Structure.

3. When prompted to have all users logged out of the system, click OK if all other users are out and then proceed with Step 4; otherwise, click Cancel and confirm all users are out and then repeat Steps 1-3.

4. The Change Account Structure screen will appear.

5. Complete the following to view and/or edit the account structure as desired:

• Click the appropriate tab for the desired account type for which account structure to view and/or edit (tabs are located in the upper left corner of the screen):  Balance Sheet tab, Revenue tab, or Expenditure tab.

• The applicable reference pieces for the selected account type display on the left side of the screen (based on the designated state-specific reference structure for your database).  For each reference piece, the options for Hide and Required are also displayed.

Note:  The reference pieces marked as Required must be used in the account structure, as required by the applicable state; the Required field (column) cannot be changed.

• To define a reference piece so that it is not part of the account structure, select the Hide field for the desired reference.  A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.

Note:  If a reference piece is marked as Required, the Hide field cannot be selected as the reference piece must be used in the account structure for the selected account type.

• To change the order of the reference pieces, click once on the reference piece to move and then click the Top, Up, Down, or Bottom button until the reference is in the desired position.  The reference piece of FUND must always be the first piece and cannot be moved.

Note:  If a reference piece that is optional (no checkmark in the Required field) is moved to be before a reference piece that is required, that optional reference piece will become "required" within the Chart of Accounts, meaning that the reference piece will always have to be used for all account numbers of the specified type (and zero fill that reference piece if not tracking it for a particular account number).  If a reference piece that is optional (no checkmark in the Required field) is at the end of the account structure, it will remain "optional" within the Chart of Accounts, meaning that the reference piece does not always have to be used for all account numbers of the specified type.

6. If changes were made to the account structure for the selected account type, click the Display button at the bottom of the screen to refresh the right side of the screen in order to view how the actual account numbers will change based on the new specified account structure.

Note:  The right side of the screen defaults to display only the account numbers for the selected account type, but the filters can be changed, if desired.

• If the new account structure causes an account number to be a duplicate with another account number, a checkmark will appear in the box under the Duplicate column for the applicable account numbers.

• If the new account structure will not allow an account number specified as the old number to become the new one because it will cause an error, the error icon will appear to the right of the New Chart of Account Number.  All errors must be corrected before the account structure changes can be posted to the Chart of Accounts.

Note:  The error icon will appear if the account number is marked as a duplicate because duplicate account numbers cannot be combined within this option as they may be different account types.  To fix the error for duplicate account numbers, complete one of the following:  1) specify a different account structure so that the result does not include any duplicate account numbers; 2) close out of the Change Account Structure option, combine the account numbers that would become duplicates (if have the same account type), and then complete the option to Change Account Structure again; or 3) close out of the Change Account Structure option, crosswalk one of the account numbers that would become duplicates to make it be unique once the structure is changed, and then complete the option to Change Account Structure again.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for all desired account types; if prompted to save changes when clicking a tab for a different account type, click Yes.

8. After all the changes have been made, print the Crosswalk Account Numbers Listing from the Reports menu to verify the new account structure for the account numbers.

Note:  When printing the Crosswalk Account Numbers Listing, select the New Account Sort report selection to print the old and new account numbers sorted by the new account numbers; select the Old Account Sort report selection to print the old and new account numbers sorted by the old account numbers; and select the All Old Account Numbers report selection to print all the account numbers in the Chart of Accounts (and not just those to be changed) sorted by the old account numbers.

Tip:  The Crosswalk Account Numbers History Listing is also available in order to print all the history information for account numbers that have been changed.  The report shows the new and old account number in addition to the user who changed the account number, when it was changed (Posted Date), and the method used to change the account number (Change Type).  Only the crosswalks or account number changes that were completed after installing the 2004.11.12 update of the Windows version of the School Accounting System and going forward will be included on this report.

9. Click the Execute button to post the account number changes to the Chart of Accounts.

10. When prompted to change the account structure, click Yes.

11. For organizations with the School Accounting System installed locally or for organizations using the School Accounting System-Online version with the regular database configuration, the Backup Database screen will appear; make a backup as normal.

Steps to Backup

Note:  A backup must be made or else the system will not continue with the process.

12. After the account number changes have been completed, a message will appear; click OK.

Tip:  As part of processing the account structure change, the system does try to update the masks accordingly but the masks should be verified to ensure they are still correct; the masks to verify are located in the following files:  General Ledger System File, Payroll System File, Deductions, Taxes, Account Groups (if applicable), and Approval Trees (if applicable).  Also, if desired, change the sorts on the flexible financial reports as defined within the Flexible Financial Report Setup option to follow the new account structure.