AG issues FY 2010 AFR forms

On August 25th, the Office of the Auditor General issued the AFR forms to be used for fiscal year 2010, along with an accompanying Memorandum (#247).  Please visit the AG's website to read the Memo and access the electronic forms.  http://www.azauditor.gov/ASD/PDF/School_Districts/Manuals/USFR_Memo_247.pdf

Also, remember that your District's electronic AFR must be submitted by October 15th! 

Upcoming Deadline Reminder

Your PEA/LEA Calendar is due to ADE before 8/31!

School District Deadline Reminder for Property Taxes

Just a quick reminder about this upcoming deadline: Amount to be raised from primary and secondary property taxes must be fixed, levied & assessed by August 20th  (A.R.S. §§15-992 and 42-304.B)

New HMU Workshop on School District Compliance

H&M University is excited to announce a new workshop topic - "Getting Your School District into Shape - Understanding Compliance"  These one-day workshops will be offered in Vail (Tucson area) on 9/28 and Mesa on 9/29. 

The workshops will cover key areas of compliance for Arizona school districts. In addition to the compliance regulations, our instructors will review common findings and lead an open discussion on best practices for these areas. The planned workshop agenda includes discussion of the following areas: Segregation of Duties ; Procurement ; Capital Assets ; Inventories ; Accounting Records ; Information Technology ; Student Activities ; Auxiliary Operations ; and Attendance.

For more information or to register online, visit our website at www.heinfeldmeech.com/hmu

Change Coming for US Department of Education Grant Payments

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury will begin making all disbursements for the Department of Education's grant programs effective October 1, 2010.   The grant payments received by your District will then be subject to the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) effective as of this date (10/1/2010). 

The TOP may impact your finanical management operations of your District.  For information about the TOP, please visit the Treasury website at www.fms.treas.gov/debt/top.html.

For more detailed information on the TOP's potential impact on your District, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education's letter dated July 26, 2010:  http://www.heinfeldmeech.com/documents/10-0581-TOP_Letter.pdf  

HMU Workshop - Accounting Skills for Governments and Non-profits

Registration is now open for this workshop - Day 1 is being offered on Friday, September 24th and Day 2 will be held on Friday, October 8th.   (Although this workshop is constructed as a sequence, each day can also be taken individually.)

This workshop is specifically designed to teach accounting skills to personnel at governments (such as school districts) and not-for-profit organizations (NPOs).   This series was extremely popular last year, so please be sure to register early to guarantee a spot.  

For more information or to register online, visit www.heinfeldmeech.com/hmu

School District FAQs - Student Activities Bank Accounts

Q: Can a school district's parent organization, booster club, or other outside organization open a bank account using the district's tax identification number?

A: No. A school district's tax identification number should only be used in association with the bank accounts that are legally authorized for school districts.