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Dimension Configuration

SchoolInsight’s Financials system uses fund accounting to keep track of how a school district’s money should be spent. Dimensions essentially act as an organization system, allocating money into different “buckets.” By default, dimensions are set up to mirror the state’s budget requirements.

All dimensions can be viewed at Financials Main > Setup > Dimension Configuration. This page sets the rules for what dimensions are available, how many digits can be used for each dimension, and on what account type each dimension may be used.

Abbreviation
Code Length and Local Code Length
Availability
Changes

Abbreviation

Each dimension has an Abbreviation that can show up in two main places:

  1. On payroll items, placeholders are often used when the exact account affected depends on the employee.
  2. On reports, placeholders are used to show that an optional dimension is unused.

Additionally, the abbreviations for specific function types (asset, liability, etc.) are used for function prefixes in Illinois.

In Illinois, the Medicare benefit is often set up to increase account FF-ENNNN-214-R.

  • Fund has abbreviation F and a code length of 2, so the placeholder is FF
  • Function has abbreviation N and a code length of 4, so the placeholder is NNNN
  • Responsibility Center has abbreviation R and a code length of 1, so the placeholder is R
  • The E is not a placeholder; it is a function prefix indicating that the program is expecting an expenditure function.

In Missouri, the Medicare benefit is often set up to increase account FF-NNNN-6232-LLLL-S-JJJJJ.

  • Fund has abbreviation F and a code length of 2, so the placeholder is FF
  • Function has abbreviation N and a code length of 4, so the placeholder is NNNN
  • Location has abbreviation L and a code length of 4, so the placeholder is LLLL
  • Source Code has abbreviation S and a code length of 1, so the placeholder is S
  • Project has abbreviation J and a code length of 5, so the placeholder is JJJJJ

Code Length and Local Code Length

The Code Length is dictated by the state and cannot be changed. It represents how many digits are used for this code.

The Local Code Length can be customized by the school. It allows additional digits to be added to the end of the code, generally for the purpose of creating “subcodes.”

For example, in Illinois liability function 481 represents the district’s Payroll Deductions and Withholdings. To create subcodes for different types of deductions, you may add a Local Code Length of 2, which would allow you to create functions like:

  • 48101 for Federal Income Tax withholding
  • 48102 for State Income Tax withholding

The Local Code Length is the maximum number of additional digits, not a required number. When a dimension has a Code Length of 3 and a Local Code Length of 2, that means the dimension code may be 3, 4, or 5 digits long.

Availability

Dimension availability can be set separately for three categories:

  • Balance Sheet (Asset, Liability, and Fund Balance Accounts)
  • Revenue accounts (including Sources of Funds in Illinois)
  • Expenditure accounts (including Uses of Funds in Illinois)

Within each category, each dimension can be:

  • Required
  • Active-Optional
  • Inactive
  • Zeros (Missouri only)

For example in Illinois, the Revenues column may be configured such that:

  • Fund is Required
  • Function is Required
  • Object is Inactive
  • Responsibility Center is Active-Optional
  • All others are Inactive

With these settings, it is impossible to save a Revenue account set up as Fund-Object or Fund-Function-Object. The Responsibility Center may or may not be used.

Valid: 10-R1100
Valid: 10-R1100-1
Invalid: 10-R1100-110

For example in Missouri, the Revenues column may be configured such that:

  • Fund is Required
  • Function is Zeros
  • Object is Required
  • Location, Source of Funds, and Project are Active-Optional
  • Program is Inactive

With these settings, the function will always be entered as four zeros. 

Valid: 10-0000-5110
Valid: 10-0000-5110-4-121000
Invalid: 10-1110-5110

Changes

Customers do not have access to change the Dimension Configure settings. However, If you need to change anything about your dimension configuration, email financials@common-goal.com.