1. How to use the Certified Annual Report (CAR) – Chart of Account (COA) test site and actual site

2. Test and actual sites COA test site mirrors the actual site – Available year around – Switches to the current fiscal year’s edits after all the past fiscal year’s CARs have been received and reviewed – Additional capability of testing individual account codes Actual upload site is available in August – All accruals should be made prior to upload

3. Log in to the secure website: www.edinfo.state.ia.us

4. Go into appropriate application

5. Test site Test early and test often!!! Testing gives you the opportunity to clean up incorrect account codes or reconciliations early on.

6. Test site – testing individual records

7. Enter up to 5 account numbers & click the Run Test button

8. OR… upload entire text file

9. First time through – answer questions. Edits are based on the answers.

10. Click on NOT COMPLETE button-Stage1

11. If no errors – green COMPLETE button appears - allows you to go to Stage 2 - errors in Stage 1 must be corrected

12. If errors appear in Stage 2, they do not need to be corrected at that point and you can advance to Stages 3 and 4.

13. To view errors – 2 possible buttons or drop-down menu (hit GO)

14. Errors are grouped in 2 ways – by fund and in categories

15. Individual account vs. entire file Individual account codes – Most edit checks to look at the format of an account code are in Stages 1 and 2. – Progressing to Stages 3 and 4, which are comprised of various reconciling edits, will give error messages that do not relate to the account number. Entire files – Some errors in Stages 3 and 4 cannot be corrected until accruals and end of the year journal entries are made.

16. Examples of errors after all 4 stages

17. Try, try, and try again! Individual account codes – Repeat this process for 1 to 5 account codes at any time – May only want to do Stages 1 and 2 Entire files – Correct errors and repeat process – Mirrors the actual upload site which is available in August

18. Actual CAR upload and reports Check points – Bank accounts are reconciled to financials – Using most updated version of financial software – One upload file – all accounts from all funds must be included in one comma delimited text file – Accounting entries have been made (adjustments and accruals) – Opened CAR reports and verified balances to ledger – Reviewed for accuracy – Report must be completed & certified by Sept. 15th

19. Actual CAR upload and reports – check reports for accuracy

20. Navigation of CAR-COA Use the Dropdown menu on each page to navigate through the application: choose page and hit GO button In completing a report or certification, information is only accepted after hitting UPDATE button

21. Complete 1 report – Nonprofit School Organizations If not applicable, must still hit Update

22. Instructions Instructions can be found at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option =com_content&view=article&id=1621&Itemid=24 08 http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option =com_content&view=article&id=1621&Itemid=24 08 Or navigate by going to www.iowa.gov/educate and follow this path:www.iowa.gov/educate School Business & Finance Accounting & Reporting CAR

23. Resources – Use the Department of Education website often at www.iowa.gov/educate & bookmark !!! www.iowa.gov/educate – School Business & Finance, Accounting & Reporting, CAR CAR Information & Instructions – School Business & Finance, Accounting & Reporting, Uniform Financial Accounting Appendix G: Chart of Account Descriptions Appendix H: Minimum Chart of Account Quick Reference Guide Uniform Financial Accounting Manual – 2004 Edition – School Business & Finance, Accounting & Reporting, Procedures Uniform Administrative Procedures for LEAs (AEAs)

24. Other tips to using the Department of Education’s website Use the A-Z Programs List for finding things quickly

25. Other tips to using the Department of Education’s website Quick link to Secure Website (EdInfo) & more

26. Other tips to using the Department of Education’s website Quick Links to Important information and legislation

27. Other tips to using the Department of Education’s website Allocations are listed on each program page

28. Contact Us!!!! Denise Ragias – for help with the uploads and reports – Email: denise.ragias@iowa.govdenise.ragias@iowa.gov – Phone: 515-281-4741 Janice Evans - for help with account codes and journal entries – Email: janice.evans@iowa.govjanice.evans@iowa.gov – Phone: 515-281-4740

29. Finance, Facilities and Operation Services (FFOS) Janice Evans janice.evans@iowa.gov 515-281-4740janice.evans@iowa.gov – Account Coding, Journal Entries, Uniform Financial Accounting Su McCurdy su.mccurdy@iowa.gov 515-281-4738su.mccurdy@iowa.gov – CAR Policy, SBRC, Supplementary Weighting, Uniform Administrative Procedures Denise Ragias denise.ragias@iowa.gov515-281-4741denise.ragias@iowa.gov – COA Uploads, CAR Reports, AEA & Juvenile Home Budgets Gary Schwartz gary.schwartz@iowa.gov515-281-4743gary.schwartz@iowa.gov – Facility, Bond, PPEL Elections Data Collections, Facilities, Infrastructure Grants & Allocations Joyce Thomsen joyce.thomsen@iowa.gov515-242-5612joyce.thomsen@iowa.gov – Operational Sharing, Unspent Balance Projections, Reorganizations 29