Reporting and Accounting Requirements and Deadlines

Administrative Letter: 6

Policy Code: KLL/DIC

TO: Superintendents of Schools

FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner

DATE: September 10, 2007

SUBJECT: Reporting and Accounting Requirements and Deadlines

In preparation for 2008-09 funding, the following instructions are to ensure that all data for the calculation of 2008-09 funding are submitted in a timely and accurate manner.

Reporting Deadlines:

A schedule of due dates is available on the Department of Education Reporting Forms website for those reports that impact the calculation of State subsidy for 2008-09. This includes reporting for staff, student and financial data. Two report deadlines that have been established are the initial report due date and the final date for any revisions that will impact the 2008-09 State subsidy calculation.

You will note for the MEDMS Staff Information that the initial report due date and the final date for any revisions (for Essential Programs & Service Staff Positions only) are both September 30, 2007. This deadline is necessary to have sufficient time to use the data to create the new Staff Salary Matrixes for 2008-09 funding that I must present to the State Board of Education in December 2007. The website also includes a list of the staff positions that specifically impact the calculation of the Essential Program & Services matrixes and special education allocations. The MEDMS Staff Information will also be used in the calculation of the Minimum Teacher Salary Adjustment and verification of eligibility for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Salary Supplement.

I strongly encourage you to review your unit’s data for accuracy prior to submission, to reduce or avoid the need for revisions. Should your unit fail to meet these deadlines, it will result in not using your unit’s most recent data for your unit’s calculation of 2008-09 State subsidy.

Website: http://www.maine.gov/education/forms/forms.htm
Click on “Reporting Deadlines for Subsidy Calculations”

Accounting Handbook and Model Chart of Accounts:

Beginning with 2007-08 budget information and 2007-08 actual financial data, all school administrative units must report budget and financial information based on the Accounting Handbook and Model Chart of Accounts. This information is available on the Department of Education’s website:

http://www.maine.gov/education/data/handbook/handbookmenu.htm

The 2007-08 budget information and 2007-08 actual financial data will be reported to the Department of Education through the MEDMS Financial System Module. More information regarding the reporting of 2007-08 budget information and actual financial data is available at the following website:

http://www.maine.gov/education/medms/financialinfolist.html

The 2007-08 actual financial data must be reported using the MEDMS Financial System Module on a quarterly basis. The quarterly deadlines are as follows:

· 1^st quarterly report due October 15, 2007

· 2^nd quarterly report due January 15, 2008

· 3^rd quarterly report due April 15, 2008

· 4^th quarterly report (FY 2008 year end) due July 31, 2008

Business Administrators/Managers List Serve:

The Department of Education provides school administrative units’ business staff with the opportunity to belong to the Department’s Business Administrators/Managers List Serve. This is an excellent venue for business personnel to ask other business personnel in the State for advice and recommendations on local issues. Department staff often provide updates on funding, accounting practices and reporting reminders through this service. I highly recommend that your business personnel join this List Serve. If interested, please contact Joanne Allen, List Serve Administrator, at joanne.allen@maine.gov