Carroll County Public Schools Procedure Manual for School Funds


Installing the New FinancePlus Icon



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Installing the New FinancePlus Icon


The icon will appear on your desktop as a zen delivered icon with the name Genero FinancePlus and will have a small red arrow in the bottom left corner.



Close all open windows.

Double click the Genero FinancePlus icon.



Re-boot your PC when the message comes up.
After installation you will see a new icon on your desktop named FinancePlus LIVE DB.

Open the software as you would any windows program.




System Requirements


Windows 2000 or Windows 98.

Adobe Acrobat Reader version 6.0 or higher.

Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher.

A 17 inch monitor is best. (If you have a 15 inch you will need to use scrollbars more.)

At least 128 mg RAM



Printing to Adobe Acrobat Reader

We strongly recommend sending all reports to the Screen from the Printer Destination Window. This will always open Adobe Acrobat Reader and you may then send your report to the printer from Acrobat. The report will always print on your PC default printer if you use Acrobat.



If you run a report and you don’t see it on the screen always look at the open window buttons at the bottom of your screen. Click the Acrobat button to bring it to the forefront of your desktop.

Another advantage of sending reports to Adobe is that these reports can be emailed to administrators/staff by clicking on the Mail Icon (earth & letter).
Note: If you need to load the latest version of Adobe Acrobat use the following link.

http://128.128.98.241/infotech/webhelp/pcacroinst2K.php3
New School Administrator/Financial Secretary

When a new school administrator is hired or transferred (principal, assistant principal or financial secretary) sound accounting practice requires that the following updates occur to reflect appropriate authorizations:





  1. Banking Signature Authorization Cards - must be updated to reflect the appropriate personnel to sign checks. This should be done immediately after any personnel changes at your school. The financial secretary must obtain a new signature authorization card from the school’s financial institution, complete (with signatures) and return to the bank in a timely manner.

    1. The Financial and Administrative Services Department must maintain up-to-date signature cards for all school based checking accounts. As such, please forward all updates to the Banking Signature Authorization Card to the Financial and Administrative Services Department.

    2. In addition, a copy of the Banking Signature Authorization Card of record on June 30th of each year must be forwarded to the Financial and Administrative Services Department. These documents are provided to our external auditors during the annual audit.




  1. It is required that a combination safe be updated with a new combination and/or safe keys.




  1. Prior to exiting a school, the Principal should verify that all school accounts have been reviewed within the past 30 days by the appropriate club account managers in the Finance Information Center (FIC).




  1. Upon arriving at a new school, the Principal should verify that all school accounts have been reviewed within the past 30 days by the appropriate club account managers. The new administrator should become very familiar with the school accounts and those responsible for overseeing the accounts as soon as possible. Any problems or questions with the accounts should be directed to the appropriate club account managers. Unresolved questions should be directed to the Financial and Administrative Services Department.



Finance Information Center

(Quick Reference Guide)
The Finance Information Center (FIC) is a web-based application developed by Technology Services that provides club account managers the ability to monitor the financial transactions regarding their club. This program provides real-time access to our internal financial system. FinancePlus, via an easy to use web interface.
The application can be accessed via the Web Portal or by going directly to
http://ccpsportal.ccps.wan/financelink

The Principal can designate up to 3 people, including themselves, to manage the system. These individuals are referred to as the system administrators. These system administrators have the rights to:




  • View all accounts and transactions for all accounts, including the last time that account was verified and by whom

  • Verify accounts

  • Modify the club manager associated to an account

  • Inactivate accounts

The Principal should notify the HelpDesk with the names of any individuals they want to have rights to manage the system. This call must be entered by the Principal.



Account List Page
This is the first page you will see after logging in. As a system administrator you will see all active accounts found in FinancePlus, associated with your school. As a club account manager you will see only those accounts assigned to you.
The following information will be listed for each account:


  • Account name

  • 4 digit account code

  • Name of the club account manager(s)

  • Person who last verified the account

  • Last verified balance

Some accounts may be displayed in different color. The color indicates something special about that account:




  • Yellow highlight indicates that account has some transactions that are ‘under review’

  • Red font indicates that account has not been verified in over 30 days

  • Green highlight indicates an inactive account has had activity and as a result, is now active

Clicking the account title will take you to the ‘Account Detail’ page and will provide you with a list of all the activity that has occurred for that account since the last verification.


System administrators have the ability to click the ‘Inactivate’ link next to any account to prevent that account from displaying on their school’s active account list table. When an account is marked ‘Inactive’ it is recorded to the database with the current balance. It will then disappear from the active account list and appear in the inactive list.
If the balance ever changes for an inactive account then that account will automatically be reactivated and will appear in the active account list again. The text ‘Reactivated’ will appear in place of ‘Inactive’ when an account is reactivated. The only way to turn the ‘Inactivate’ link back on is to put a request into the HelpDesk.
The system manager can re-activate an inactive account at any time by clicking on the ‘Reactivate’ link next to the inactivated account.

Account Detail Page
This page contains a list of all transactions that have occurred for this account since the last verification. It will also display the total year-to-date balance.
Club account managers should be the only individuals clicking the verify button. They should log into the site, click on their account and view each transaction. After reviewing all the transactions the club account manager will click the ‘Verify’ button to ‘sign-off’ on the transactions they reviewed.
The next time the account manager logs in and views the details of the account they will see only transactions that have occurred since the last verification. They can click on the ‘Verified Account Data’ link towards the bottom of the page, to view all transactions for the current year, not just the ones that have not been verified.
If an account manager is uncertain of a transaction and wishes to explore it further, they can check the box in the last column and click the ‘Submit’ button. If any transaction is marked as ‘Under Review’ then that account along with its transactions cannot be marked as Verified. The account on the main Account List page will also show in yellow so the system managers will know right away of any account with transactions that are under review.
Once the club account manager has thoroughly reviewed that transaction and is ready to verify it then they can uncheck the box and click Verify to save the change and verify all transactions listed.
Remember, every time you click ‘Verify’ the system records the date. Any transactions occurring prior to the date recorded will no longer appear in the detailed list of transactions, you will need to click ‘Verified Account Data’ link to see them.
A club account manager can view all transactions for that account for the past 5 years. They can only click ‘Verified’ on the current, active year.

Account Managers
Only system managers can access the area of the site. Click on the link in the black bar towards the top of the page and you will see a list of all the clubs along with the name of the person assigned to manage the account.
To add a new account manager simply select the individual from the drop-down list for any and all clubs you wish to add managers to then click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the page. To remove a manager, simply click the ‘Remove’ text next to their name.
When a person is added as a club account manager the program will automatically grant that person rights to access the Financial Information Center, if they don’t currently have rights. If the club account manager is brand new to this system then the program will also send that person an email with their username and password.
When a person is removed as a club account manager the program will check to see if they are assigned to manage any other clubs. If they are not assigned to any other clubs then the program will remove their rights to the Finance Information Center.
Occasionally a restricted account may be overseen by a non-Carroll County Public School employee. In these rare instances the Principal shall be responsible for the verification of the account activity and balance.

Directions for Completing the

FUNDS COLLECTION RECORD




School Receipts

In an effort to provide advisors and administrators with details that match the actual receipt tickets used in the schools, on-line receipt entry became effective February 1, 2007. It was necessary to start at the beginning of a month to make sure that a school report could be completed.


Throughout the month as receipt tickets are written, the receipt is entered into FinancePlus.
Sign on to FinancePlus and go to User Defined Reports, School Reports

The School Cash Receipts option should be chosen.


This screen provides a variety of options for entering data. This will alleviate the need to keep additional spreadsheets. Since this data is entered on-line real time, current balances are available to reflect deposits. Additionally, since some space is available for entering a description, text that might help an advisor or administrator can be input.
To begin, leave the Receivable Number blank. This field exists typically for the Finance office when we send out bills to other entities. This would most likely not be the case for schools.

Type in the revenue code in the Financial Code line and put R1000 in the Account line.
Leave Project and Account blank since these fields exist for construction related items in the Capital Improvements Project budget.
You will notice that the next field “Payer Number” is automatically populated by the four digits that make up the specific club or school fund. In the example above, field trips are 01-06 in the revenue code, so 0106 is populated in this field. Since a payer number is required by this program, it is set up to automatically duplicate the school fund account code.

The next field is the Cash Account. This field needs to have your school’s checking account as it appears on our balance sheet. While this is not a number you typically use, it is always 0001 followed by your three digit cost center. In the example above, Westminster Elementary is 0001710.
The next field is the receipt number and should be the pre-numbered receipt ticket that you used for this particular item. It should be noted that if you split out sales tax and want to put that in a separate revenue account, another entry should be made using the sales tax revenue account number and then the same receipt ticket number can be input. In the case of Electronic Script rebates, interest, deposit adjustments, etc. you can leave the receipt ticket number field blank.
The next field is the Description. This is a free form field that you can note the event, the teacher name, purpose, etc. This information will print on your audit trail so please input descriptions that will be meaningful for yourself and/or your teachers/advisors.
Your control number is tied to your FinancePlus login and will automatically appear on that next line.
Finally, the amount of the receipt ticket applicable to this code should be noted on the last line (in case you split the coding for tax, etc).

In the upper right hand corner as deposits are entered, a cumulative totals continues to increase. This can be used as a matching tool to compare to your bank deposit.
Prior Month Corrections
In the event that an entry needs to be made in a prior month to account for a missed entry, correction, etc. on the right hand side of the screen a Set Period button exists.
This can be reset to a prior month in the fiscal year. It is imperative that any correcting entries for June be made as soon as possible in July, using period 13.
Returned Checks from Parents
This screen can also be used to account for returned checks and fees. In the event that a deposited check is returned for Non Sufficient Funds, etc. an entry can be done to reduce the revenue in the account. This entry should be done in the same month as the bank statement. Therefore if a check bounces on the 29th of the month, and you are notified the following month, reset the period to the prior month to post the entry. This way your reports will match to your bank statement, making it easier to reconcile.


The above example shows a $10.00 field trip check being returned. The description field can be used for the student or parent name for tracking purposes.
Checks Written at the School
On a limited basis, checks can be written from the school. These should also be entered into this receipt program within a day of writing the check. Even though these are not receipts, these transactions do impact the balance in a schools checking account. Additionally, since this is on-line real time, and this information is critical for schools to have more current information and balances, deductions from accounts need to be entered as well.
The Financial code used would be the expense account associated with the school funds and the account would be the object/sub-object for this particular check. Again the project and Account number would be skipped. The payer number will again default to match the club or school account code. The cash account will remain the same as a deposit (0001 followed by three digit cost center number). For the receipt number, input the check number from that check. The description should be the name on the check, i.e. Toby’s Dinner Theatre, etc. The control number will automatically post as your user name. The receipt amount should be a NEGATIVE number and reflect the amount of the check. In the event that you are coding a check with more than one expenditure account, you would need to do two entries, with each portion of the check coded as a negative to its unique expenditure code.


This will reduce the amount in the school checking account and reflect the expense.
Monthly Check Payable to the Board of Education
Each month that a check is written to the Board to sweep the month’s activity, an entry is still needed to reflect this decrease in the school checking account. The Financial Code used is 2 (only 2, meaning the school fund balance sheet). The Account used is 0004 meaning Cash Held by Board on your behalf. The payer number changes to just your three digit cost center number. Type in the check # on the Receipt # line and the amount of the check as a NEGATIVE receipt amount on the last line. This check should be input in the month you write it, even thought it is for the prior month’s deposits.

In the event that CCPS has to issue a check to the school to get the schools’ bank account up to the required minimum, the school should:



  1. Deposit the check at their bank as a single deposit item.

  2. Do not enter the CCPS check into FinancePlus as a receipt. The Finance Office will do that.



How Does the Information Look After Entering?
This method provides additional information to staff within the FinancePlus reports. For instance, this reporting will give specific detail for revenue.

The example above shows the prior school report method of having a summarized entry for each monthly school report and also shows examples of entries made on the receipt method. The above report example is the audit trail that has always been available.
However, there is an additional report that is available with this method of entering cash receipts. This Cash Receipts Report provides detailed listings of all transactions made and breaks them down by account code. This report could be distributed to advisors since each account appears on a separate page. This report is also useful to reconcile to the bank statement.

This report is accessed via Reports, Fund Accounting, User Defined Reports, School Reports, Cash Receipts.
Enter the Year and Period (Month) that you want to review. The Cash Account field will also need to be filled with the school’s cash account number (0001 followed by three digit cost center). If you are confirming all receipts and disbursements for the month, leave the remaining information blank. If you are reviewing a particular account, for instance field trips, under financial code type in 23??0106*Cost Center. To get disbursements and receipts for field trips, type in 2???0106*Cost Center so both revenue and expenses paid or received for 01-06 are included on your report.











This final page of the report gives a total of the deposits and checks posted to the account during the month. The report can be run at any time during the month. However, if the report is run and compared to the bank statement, the totals should match the deposits made to the bank, less checks written out.
Please keep in mind that this report only shows entries made via the cash receipts selection. Procurement card entries, bills paid in Finance, payroll items, etc. appear on the audit trail, not the Cash Receipts Report. Therefore, this report is most useful to reconcile bank activity or to give to advisors in relation to deposits.
How Does this Change My School Report?
The only change to your school report is that you no longer need to do the summary journal entry page that lists all of the revenue accounts (Summary of Cash Receipts and Disbursements). The remaining portions of the school report are still necessary (bank reconciliation, disbursement vouchers for checks, etc.)


Fund 1 Checks and Deposits – Temporary (Dummy) Accounts

The school checking account will only let you write checks against Fund 2 for goods and services. However there will be instances where you may want to use a school check to pay for Fund 1 items. For example a Financial Secretary may have to pay for something immediately and cannot wait for the Financial and Administrative Services Department to issue and mail a check. To accomplish this, a school check may be written against a temporary school account code (also know as dummy accounts). But these are temporary accounts, so before the fiscal year ends all these temporary accounts must be zeroed out. This is accomplished by doing journal entries. It is good practice to do these journal entries at least quarterly. The expenditure temporary accounts and where they are to be zeroed out to are listed below.


Non-School Fund From To

Postage 2-1-15-12-01-00-000-cost ctr. 1-1-12-01-01-00-000-cost ctr.

Outdoor School 2-1-15-12-02-00-000-cost ctr. 1-1-xx-xx-xx-xx-016-185

Pay to Play 2-1-15-12-03-00-000-cost ctr. 1-1-xx-xx-xx-xx-xxx-cost ctr.

Summer School 2-1-15-12-04-00-000-cost ctr. 1-1-Contact Budget Supervisor

Misc. Expend. 2-1-15-12-05-00-000-cost ctr. x-x-xx-xx-xx-xx-xxx-cost ctr.


The revenue temporary accounts and where they are to be zeroed out to are listed below.
Non-School Fund From To

Postage 2-3-01-12-01-00-000-cost ctr. 1-3-xx-xx-xx-xx-xxx-cost center

Outdoor School 2-3-01-12-02-00-000-cost ctr. 1-3-10-09-03-00-016-185

Pay-to-Play 2-3-01-12-03-00-000-cost ctr. 1-3-10-11-05-00-000-cost center

Summer School 2-3-01-12-04-00-000-cost ctr. 1-3-10-05-Contact Budget Supervsr

Misc. Revenue 2-3-01-12-05-00-000-cost ctr. 1-1-16-01-20-00-000-cost center



The Miscellaneous code can be used for items that are unusual in nature and the Finance Office will contact you for the specifics. Consequently, this code may vary slightly, (i.e. – 02 or 03 instead of 01).

CARROLL COUNTY

PUBLIC SCHOOLS





SALES TAX MANUAL

November 2008


Table of Contents
This manual is broken down into two sections: Purchases and Sales
Please note that different rules apply to each and they must be thought of separately.


Topic Page #
Purchases

Overview ……………………………………………. 97

Exempt Purchases ………………………………….. 97

PTA’s ………………………………………………. 98

Individual Teachers ………………………………… 98

Sales

Registering to Make Sales …………………………. 98

Purpose of the Sales and Use Tax License ………… 98

Sales to Students, Staff and Faculty ……………….. 100

Sales to the General Public ………………………… 100

Vending Machines ………………………………… 100

Other ………………………………………………. 101

Examples of Taxable and Non-taxable Items .......... 102

Do’s and Don’ts …………………………………… 103

Reporting …………………………………………... 103

Completing the Form ……………………………… 103

Questions ………………………………………….. 104



Purchases
Overview
The State of Maryland has issued a sales tax exemption to the Carroll County Board of Education. Here are some facts about the exemption certificate.


  • All Carroll County Public Schools have the same exemption number.




  • Each school is required to contact the Finance Office for a copy of the certificate.




  • It may be necessary to present the certificate to the vendor at the time of purchase for the exemption to apply.




  • The certificate may be used anywhere in the State of Maryland but may not be used outside of the State.



Exempt Purchases
In order for a purchase to be exempt, the


  • purchase must be for materials, supplies, equipment and furniture used to carry on the work of Carroll County Public Schools and/or the individual school,

Examples of some tax-exempt purchases are as follows:


 Books, magazines and periodicals

  • Health room supplies

  • Office supplies, equipment and furniture

  • Classroom supplies, equipment and furniture

  • Custodial supplies such as paper towels, soap, buckets, mops, broom and floor equipment

  • Equipment/Property maintenance and repair supplies



  • the purchase must be made from organizational funds (check or procurement card),




  • the purchased item must become the property of CCPS/school,




  • the vendor may need to see an actual copy of the exemption certificate.


PTA’s and PTO’s
The Comptroller’s Office will not issue an exemption certificate to the PTA or PTO. The school may allow a representative of the PTA to use its certificate but should have procedures in place to insure that the certificate is being used appropriately. The PTA must use their organizational check or credit card to make the purchase.
● The PTA or PTO may only use the school’s exemption certificate to purchase items that will be donated to the school (i.e., the purchase item will become the property of Carroll County Public Schools).
● The PTA or PTO may not use the school’s exemption certificate if purchasing items for PTA use (even if used in fundraising purchasing activities).

Individual Teachers
May an individual teacher use the school’s exemption certificate?
YES
● If the teacher is purchasing items for their classroom or for the school in general AND if using organizational funds (check or p-card).
NO
● If the teacher is using his or her own funds, he/she may NOT use the school exemption

certificate. The law expressly states that in order for purchases to be exempt, they must be made with organizational funds.


● If the teacher is purchasing items that will become his or her property, even if used in the classroom, he/she may NOT use the school’s exemption certificate.

Sales
Sales made by the schools, PTAs, PTOs and booster clubs are subject to the 6% Maryland Sales and Use tax. This includes fundraising activities, vending machine sales, and school store sales just to name a few.
***** The term exemption only applies to purchases *****

Registering to Make Sales
In order to register to make sales in Maryland, an organization must complete a Combined Registration Application (see Comptroller’s website, address on Page 104 of this document).

In order to complete the application, the organization must have the following:


● The Federal Employer Identification Number for Carroll County Public Schools,

which is 52-6000911,

● The location address and telephone number where the records will be kept, and

● Building Administrator’s social security number (number will be used for

Comptroller purposes only).

Once the organization is registered to make sales in Maryland, it is issued a Maryland Sales and Use Tax License. All Carroll County Public Schools are registered to make sales.



Purpose of the Sales and Use Tax License
The issuance of the Maryland sales and use tax license serves a dual purpose:


  1. It gives the authority to make tax free purchases on items purchased for resale “as is” or for items that will be incorporated into something for resale.




  1. It gives the authority to collect the Maryland Sales and Use tax and remit it to the Comptroller.

Some examples of items purchased for resale are school store inventory, yearbooks, t-shirts, etc. No sales tax would be paid by the school when these items are purchased because they are for resale (not because the school is tax exempt). However, when these items are sold to students, staff, parents and others, the school must collect and remit sales tax.



Sales to Students, Staff and Faculty
The school and/or its supporting organizations (i.e., PTA, PTO, Booster Club, etc.) are required to collect the 6% sales tax on sales to students, faculty and staff when those items become purchaser’s personal property.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no exemption to collect tax just because the sale is made by a non-profit organization.

Sales to the General Public
Sales made to the general public by the school or its supporting organizations are also subject to the 6% sales and use tax.
Examples of taxable sales include sales of candy, as well as, gift items such as candles, novelties and decorations.
Sale of grocery items such as pizza kits, cookies, popcorn kernels (unpopped) and cookie dough are exempt.
Vending Machines
If the school has a contract with a company who stocks the vending machine(s) and collects the money from the machine, the vending company is responsible for remitting the sales tax to the Comptroller.
If the school operates its own vending machine(s), the school is responsible for collecting and remitting the 6% sales and use tax. The tax is computed by multiplying the gross receipts (money collected from the machine) by 94.5, before applying the 6% rate to determine the tax due.
For example, if $100 was collected from the soda machine, divide $100 by 1.06, which equals taxable sales of $94.34. Then you would multiply the 94.34 by 6% which equals tax due of $5.66.


Vending Machines – continued

What items are taxable through vending machines?


● Candy, gum and other confections

● Soft Drinks

● Bottled water

● Non-food items


What items are not taxable through vending machines?


● Snacks such as potato chips, nuts, pretzels and popcorn (unless they are candy coated in which case they are taxable)

● Milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, yogurt, and juice

● Medications

● Feminine hygiene products




Other
● Sales of baked goods during a bake sale are not subject to sales tax.
● Rentals and leases are considered sales and are subject to sales tax. Each individual rental/lease payment is considered an individual sale.

Examples of Taxable and Non-Taxable Sales

Examples of taxable sales include:

● uniforms (gym, athletic, band, etc.)

● jackets

● t-shirts

● photographs

● school store items

● yearbooks and yearbook ads

● sodas from self-operated, vending machines (see more specifics about vending machines on Page 100)

● student agendas

● workbooks/ textbooks

● rentals of musical instruments

● concessions

● flower bulbs/flowers



  • caps, gowns, stoles, honor cords for graduation

  • magazine subscriptions sold by clubs, classes for fundraisers

Examples of non-taxable sales include:

● snacks sold through vending (chips, nuts, pretzels and popcorn)

● cookies, pies, cheesecakes

● milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, yogurt, and juice

● medications

feminine hygiene products

● unprepared grocery items (pizza kits, popcorn kernels, cookie dough)

● bake sales items

● photography lab fees

● birthday book club fees

● transcript fees

● parking permits

● spirit links

● Entertainment Books

► Remember, the key to determining who must collect and remit

sales tax depends on who made the sales and collected the money. Therefore, if the PTA is doing the selling, they are responsible for collecting and remitting the tax.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do
● Provide vendors with a resale certificate.

● Show the sales tax as a separate line item on the customer’s receipt.

● Use the Maryland Sale and Use Tax 6% rate Chart to compute the tax.

● Save all invoices and receipts for a period of at least 4 years (refunds may be issued up

to 4 years back).

● File the sales tax report in a timely manner to save money (there is a discount for early

Filing)!


Don’t
● Tell a customer that you will pay the tax for them (absorption of sales tax is against the law).

● Make an exempt sales unless you know the item is not taxable OR you have a copy of an exemption certificate or a resale certificate.

● Rely on a vendor to know whether or not an item is subject to the Maryland sales and use tax when you resell the item.

Reporting
Schools will either report on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.
You must always report, even if you have no taxes to remit. If you have no taxes to report and remit at the end of your filing period, you can file online or by phone. Call (410) 260-7225.

Completing the Form
Use the electronic Sales Tax Worksheet which will complete a template of what the return should look like. Transfer the information to the form you receive in the mail from the Comptroller’s Office. Payment should be enclosed with the report.

Questions
● Comptroller’s website: http:/business.marylandtaxes.com/taxinfo/salesanduse/default.asp
● Comptroller’s Baltimore Branch Office

301 West Preston Street, Suite 206

Baltimore, MD 21204
● Joe Varrone, CCPS School Based Training and Support Accountant, (410) 751-3081

CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

PROCUREMENT CARD USER GUIDE

SECTION 1 – OVERVIEW

1. OVERVIEW


The Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) Procurement Card Program provides an efficient procurement method for the school system. The CCPS Procurement Card reduces administrative paperwork in buying and paying for purchases. Additionally, purchases made through procurement cards are easier to monitor thus deterring misuse of public funds.
Using the Procurement Card benefits CCPS vendors and saves time and money for the school system by eliminating many labor intensive bookkeeping chores. Vendors will receive payment more quickly and the school system receives supplies without unnecessary delays.


  1. ELIGIBLE POSITIONS/CREDIT LIMITS

The Superintendent of Schools has designated that the following positions be provided with a procurement card with the corresponding monthly credit limit. If it is necessary for other positions to be designated as cardholders, the cost center administrator must initiate a procurement card application through Finance. The cost center administrator, appropriate director, and superintendent of schools must approve the application prior to submission to Finance.
Procurement Card Spending Limits


Elementary School Positions

Monthly Credit Limit

Principal

$5,000

Assistant Principals

$5,000

Designated Financial Secretary

$20,000

Building Supervisor

$500

*Other designated positions

Not to exceed $1,000




Middle School Positions

Monthly Credit Limit

Principal

$5,000

Assistant Principals

$5,000

Designated Financial Secretary

$20,000

Family & Consumer Science

$1,000

Building Supervisor

$500

*Other designated positions

Not to exceed $1,000

High School Positions

Monthly Credit Limit

Principal

$5,000

Assistant Principals

$5,000

Designated Financial Secretary

$20,000

Building Supervisor

$500

Coordinators of School Facilities/Athletic Directors

$10,000

Class/Club Advisors

Not to exceed $1,000

Family & Consumer Science

$1,000

CCC&TC Technical Education

$1,000

*Other designated positions

Not to exceed $1,000




Central Office

Monthly Credit Limit

Superintendent’s Cabinet

$1,000

Director’s Secretaries

$5,000

Supervisors

$1,000

Supervisor of Purchasing/Buyers

$10,000

(may be increased as needed for system purchases)



*Other designated positions

$1,000

Ghost Cards

**

*Must be approved by the superintendent of schools

**Limit commensurate with need


Requests for temporary/permanent increases to monthly spending limits must be requested by the cost center administrator and approved by the superintendent.


  1. GHOST CARDS

A ghost card is a high-limit charge account with one vendor in which CCPS conducts a very high number of transactions. The goal in establishing a ghost account with a high-volume and/or high spend vendor is to save time and money by reducing lengthy invoice processing time, improve reconciliation and increase earnings in the rebate program while decreasing the opportunity for fraudulent transactions.

4. TEMPORARY/PERMANENT INCREASES TO MONTHLY SPENDING LIMITS

Should the need arise for a temporary or permanent increase to monthly spending amounts, the enclosed form, Request for Temporary/Permanent Increase in Monthly Spending Limit (see page 115), must be submitted to Finance with the proper approvals at least 48 hours prior to the effective date.

5. CARDHOLDERS RESPONSIBILITIES – See more detail in Section II of the guide.

Each approved cardholder is responsible for:


  • Reading and following the procedures found in this Procurement Card User Guide.

  • Keeping the procurement card in a secure location and keeping the card number confidential.

  • Using caution in sharing account information when making purchases.

  • Making certain that sales tax is not charged when making a purchase. (Taxes can be charged on items that are sold to students for personal use, for example team sweatshirts.)

  • Obtaining and keeping receipts for each card transaction. YOU MUST HAVE AN ORIGINAL, DETAILED RECEIPT FOR EVERY CARD TRANSACTION.

  • Maintaining a log of purchases is REQUIRED. (See Procurement Card Activity Log found in this User guide.)

  • Obtaining immediate supervisor’s signature on the log.

  • Following all purchasing procedures and administrative regulations.

  • Purchasing only CCPS bid items for the desired item.

  • Resolving all incorrect charges and product returns with the merchant as soon as possible.

  • Immediately calling the procurement card company and the Staff Accountant in the Financial and Administrative Services Department if the card is lost or stolen.

  • Forward statement, original receipt and completed Procurement Card Activity Log to appropriate individual. User should keep a copy of all records for cost center file

6. UNAUTHORIZED/PROHIBITED PURCHASES

Card misuse is a serious violation of purchasing procedures. Any violation will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal and prosecution.

Procurement cards may not be used for:



  • Personal charges.

  • Cash advances or cash refunds for returned merchandise.

  • Travel or entertainment expenses unless specifically authorized in writing by the supervisor (including food).

  • Consulting or contract employee services that require contracts.

  • Fixed asset purchases unless made by Purchasing officers.

  • Purchases prohibited by the Board of Education Purchasing policies located in the Board Policy Book and the Purchasing Office.

  • Telephone charges.

  • Any of the items listed in Section 6.gf) on page 18.

  • A gift card to employees or employee volunteers is prohibited.

7. RETURNING AN ITEM PURCHASED WITH THE CARD

For an in-person purchase, return the item directly to the supplier or vendor and obtain a credit receipt. Cash refunds are absolutely prohibited. If you made the purchase by phone, mail, or fax, contact the vendor for return instructions. Get a return reference number from the supplier, e.g. a Returned Materials Authorization (RMA) or credit number. Some suppliers may charge a restocking or handling fee. Be sure to check subsequent statements to verify that you have received credit for the returned item.

8. REVIEWING/APPROVING STATEMENT

The statement period ends on the 2nd day of each month or the first business

day thereafter. Attach receipts to your statement and enclose them with the Procurement Card Activity Transaction Log. Sign the log at the bottom (Cardholder’s Signature) and forward to your Approving Official for signature. After the supervisor has approved the log, he/she will forward to Finance for auditing. Your signature affirms that:




  • The charges are correct with any exceptions clearly noted.

  • All original receipts are attached.

  • All purchases are properly authorized business purchases.

  • You have not been reimbursed for any purchase by any other method.

9. INCORRECT CHARGES

If you find an item on your statement that is incorrect, contact the supplier or vendor immediately to resolve the disputed charge. If the supplier or vendor does not resolve the discrepancy with 30 days, dispute the transaction by calling the credit card company. Disputed charges will usually be resolved within 60-90 days. User should notify Finance if a disputed charge is not resolved within this timeframe.
10. LOST CARDS

Cardholders must immediately report lost or stolen cards to SunTrust Bank (800) 836-8562. Representatives are available 24 hours a day. Cardholder must notify the Finance Office within 24 hours.


A replacement card will be mailed to the Finance Office and distributed directly to the cardholder within seven (7) days of the reported loss or theft. A card that is subsequently found by the cardholder after being reported lost or stolen should be cut in half and forwarded to the Finance Office.
11. AUDITS

Each month your Procurement Card Transaction Activity Log will be audited for compliance with procurement card policies and procedures. The following non-compliant situations may result in cancellation of a card:



  • Inadequate documentation in support of purchases.

  • Inappropriate purchase.

  • Monthly statements that have not been reconciled and signed by the Cardholder and Approving Official on a timely basis.

  • Not reporting a lost or stolen card.

  • Repeated personal purchases.

12. FINANCE OFFICE RESPONSIBILITIES



  • Review applications and establish cardholder with the card company.

  • Answer questions and solve problems pertaining to the program.

  • Maintain cardholder data base.

  • Review receipts for compliance with CCPS policies and procedures and report variances to the Supervisor of Finance.

  • Sign the statement certifying that the charges have been audited.

  • Review and input on the Procurement Card Journal Form.

  • Monitor purchases on-line as needed.

13. COST CENTER ADMINISTRATOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES



  • Ensure that cardholder’s statement has been verified.

  • Ensure that cardholders abide by the policies and procedures governing the Procurement Card Program, as well as the CCPS purchasing policies and procedures.

  • Review and approve Procurement Card Journal Form.

14. CANCELLATION/SUSPENSION OF CARDS

If it becomes necessary to cancel a procurement card, the cardholder must return the card to Finance. The Finance Office will notify the card company of the cancellation.
Reasons for cancellation include:


  • CCPS no longer employs the cardholder.

  • Cardholder goes on leave without pay.

  • Cardholder is requested to surrender the card due to a violation of policies.

  • Employee is transferred to a position not authorized for procurement card use.

In the event it is necessary to suspend or deactivate a card, the cardholder may retain the card. However, all deficiencies must be corrected prior to reactivating the card.


Reasons for suspension include:

  • Failure to provide timely Procurement Card Activity Logs.

  • Unauthorized purchasing.

  • Failure to comply with Board of Education Purchasing Policies and Procedures.



PROCUREMENT CARD USER GUIDE

SECTION 2


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