Full Account Structure

The Full Account Structure (FAS) is the foundation of financial tracking and reporting in PowerSchool ERP Fund Accounting. It defines how every dollar is organized, recorded, and reported by fund, function, program, location, and other dimensions your organization uses. Getting FAS right is essential for accurate budgets, spending control, and compliance.

In summary:

• The Full Account Structure (FAS) in PowerSchool ERP is the set of rules and codes that define budget units (key_orgn) and how they combine with account (object) codes to form a full account.

• The key organization (key_orgn) is a single code (up to 16 characters) made up of up to 10 segments (e.g., fund, function, object, location, program, project), so you can track and report by fund, program, department, and more.

• You maintain the FAS configuration on the following pages:

  • Building blocks on the Account Components page

  • Valid budget units on the Organization Chart page

  • Labels on the Fund Accounting Profile – Titles tab

• All budgeting, purchasing, payables, payroll, encumbrances, and ledgers in PowerSchool ERP Fund Accounting use this same structure, so FAS is the foundation for accurate and compliant financial management.

This section explains what FAS is, how it works in PowerSchool ERP, and how to use and maintain it.

What Is a Chart of Accounts?

In any accounting system, a chart of accounts is the list of account names and codes used to record transactions in the general ledger. Think of it as an organized list of buckets. Each bucket stores a single financial activity type (e.g., cash, salaries, supplies, revenue). Every transaction is recorded in at least one account (and, in double-entry bookkeeping, in at least two).

In fund accounting, we need to know more than just “which account.” We also need to know which fund, function, or program, and which location, among other details. That way we can:

• Track resources by legal or donor restrictions (funds).

• Report spending by department, program, or project.

• Enforce budgets and prevent overspending at a detailed level.

PowerSchool ERP does this by combining:

1. Organization segments (fund, function, object, location, program, project, etc.) into a single code called the Key Organization (key_orgn). This is the Full Account Structure.

2. Account (object) codes that describe the type of revenue or expense (e.g., salaries, benefits, supplies), similar to the accounts in a traditional chart of accounts.

Together, the key_orgn + account form the full account used to post and report transactions.

What is the Full Account Structure in PowerSchool ERP?

The Full Account Structure (also called the Organization Chart or Account String) is the set of rules and codes that define budget units in PowerSchool ERP. A budget unit is a unique combination of segments (such as fund, function, object, location, program) that the system uses to:

• Record expenditures, revenue, encumbrances, and balances.

• Enforce budget and cash checking.

• Produce reports by fund, function, program, location, or project.

The system stores each valid budget unit as a single identifier: the Key Organization (key_orgn).

The Key Organization (key_orgn)

The Key Organization (key_orgn) is a composite code (up to 16 characters) that uniquely identifies one budget unit. It is built from up to 10 segments:

Example:

100-1000-610-000-000 might mean:

• 100 = General Fund

• 1000 = Instruction (function)

• 610 = Supplies (object)

• 000 = District-wide (location)

• 000 = (No program)

This Key Organization represents: General Fund – Instruction – Supplies – District-Wide.

The labels (Fund, Function, Object, Location, Program, Project, etc.) are defined on the Fund Accounting Profile – Titles tab and can be tailored to your organization.

Full Account vs. Organization vs. Account

These three terms are distinct from each other:

• Ledgers (expenditure, revenue, encumbrance, balance sheet) store transactions using the organization (key_orgn) and account.

• Budget control is applied at the organization (key_orgn) level. The account defines the revenue or expense type.

How the Hierarchy Works

PowerSchool ERP supports up to 10 levels in the organization chart. Typical usage:

Not every key organization uses all levels. You might use only Fund–Function–Object, or add Location and Program. The titles for each level (e.g., “Function,” “Object,” “Location”) are defined on the Fund Accounting Profile – Titles tab so that pages and reports match your terminology.

Key Pages

• Organization Chart

• Account Components

• Fund Accounting Profile – Titles tab

Organization Chart

The Organization Chart is where you create and maintain budget units (key_orgn values). For each organization, you can set:

• Key Organization and Title

• Reporting structure (fund, function, object, location, program, etc.)

• Fund information: Enterprise fund, cash checking, disbursement fund

• Budget information: Budget checking (None / Warning / Fatal), pre-encumber option

• Project link: No project required, any project, or specified project

Only key organization values that exist in the Organization Chart can be used when entering budgets, encumbrances, and transactions.

Account Components

The Account Components page stores the building blocks for each level of the organization chart (e.g., lists of valid function, object, and location codes). You maintain:

• Level (which segment: 1–9)

• Code (e.g., 1000, 2000 for functions; 100, 200, 600 for objects)

• Title (e.g., INSTRUCTION, SUPPORT SERVICES, SALARIES, BENEFITS, SUPPLIES)

These codes are used to define key organization values on the Organization Chart and to validate transactions. Object-level codes (e.g., Salaries, Supplies) correspond to the type of revenue or expense, similar to accounts in a chart of accounts.

Fund Accounting Profile – Titles tab

The Fund Accounting Profile - Titles tab defines the labels for:

• Fund

• Orgn Level 1 through Orgn Level 9 (e.g., Function, Object, Location, Program, Project)

• Lowest level organization name (e.g., “Budget Unit”)

• Full Account and Encumbrance titles

These titles appear throughout Fund Accounting so that the system speaks your organization’s language.

Where the Full Account Structure is Used

FAS is used wherever financial activity is recorded or reported:

The Full Account Structure is the common address for all financial transactions and balances in Fund Accounting.

Important Options on the Organization Record

When you set up or edit an organization (key_orgn) record, you can control:

• Budget checking: None, Warning, or Fatal (to prevent or warn on overspending).

• Cash checking: None, Warning, or Fatal (to enforce cash availability).

• Pre-encumber: Whether encumbrance is required before expenditure.

• Enterprise fund: For proprietary/enterprise fund treatment.

• Project link: No project, any project, or a specified project required.

• Total record: Used for summary/roll-up reporting.

• Local use: For codes used only internally (e.g., not published to the state).

These options make FAS not only a coding scheme but also a mechanism for policy enforcement and compliance.