What is a Payroll Purchase Order?

For districts managing a tight budget, utilize a payroll purchase order to closely monitor the remaining budget amounts for salaries and benefits.  By generating a payroll purchase order, you are able to see what is left of your budget for salaries and benefits, after taking into account the amount left to be paid for contract employees and the entries to be paid for unit employees in designated pay period entry batches.

To generate a payroll purchase order, complete a payroll calculation selecting Purchase Order as the Payroll Type.  The Purchase Order payroll calculation creates an actual purchase order that is posted to Accounts Payable for the remaining contract balances, wages in selected pay period entries batches, and benefits for the applicable employees.  The encumbrances from the payroll purchase order are posted to the salary and benefit expense accounts in General Ledger.  Financial reports can then be generated to include the encumbrances and show the remaining budget amounts.

Payroll purchase orders can be calculated and updated each month before generating financial reports, or else completed periodically as needed.  If calculating a payroll purchase order every month, when a new payroll purchase order is calculated and updated, the old purchase order is automatically deleted and replaced with the new one for the updated remaining salary and benefit encumbrances.  If calculating a payroll purchase order only every once in a while, rather than generating a new one each month, the payroll purchase order would need to be deleted after the desired financial reports are generated.

For step-by-step instructions on calculating a payroll purchase order, refer to the Payroll Purchase Order Setup and Calculation Checklist in the Help File, or click here to request the Payroll Purchase Order Webinar recording.

Newsletter Survey

On the topic of a payroll purchase order:  Do you utilize payroll purchase orders in the School Accounting System?  How often do you calculate (or plan to calculate) a payroll purchase order?

Click the Survey Question link to participate in the survey.

Please be sure to submit your response.  We look forward to your participation in all our surveys.

Previous Survey Results

The Newsletter Survey questions for the December 2025 issue related to Affordable Care Act 1095 and 1094 forms.  The survey questions and responses are shown below.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

Reminder: HR Module Included at No Additional Cost

The Human Resources (+hr) module is now included with your School Accounting System core program licensing—delivering a one-time savings of $1,145 plus $400 in annual savings!

The HR module is an extension of Payroll and used to track essential employee information.  As we build the next generation of the School Accounting System, all HR module functionality will be rolled into Payroll.  Dedicating the time now to begin using the additional features will position you well to take full advantage of the next generation of the School Accounting System.

Click here to watch a short, 5-minute demonstration video.

Key Features:

• Teaching Certificates and Endorsements:  Track staff certification status, monitor renewals, and ensure compliance with state and district requirements.
• FMLA:  Efficiently track Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, monitor eligibility, and maintain thorough documentation.
• Workers’ Compensation:  Monitor and manage incidents, claims, and required reporting for on-the-job injuries.
• Personnel Training:  Schedule and record staff training sessions to support professional development and ensure district standards are met.
• Benefits and COBRA Tracking:  Streamline employee benefits tracking.
• Position Tracking:  Stay on top of hiring and staffing needs.
• Sick Banks:  Easily manage and track district sick bank deposits and usage.
• And more!

Please contact sales@su-inc.com if you would like the Human Resources module activated for your organization.

Change Descriptions for Chart of Account Numbers

Did you know there is an option available to quickly update the descriptions for your account numbers?  The Change Descriptions option, which is accessed under the Options menu within the Chart of Accounts option in General Ledger, is used to change the descriptions for account numbers.  With the Change Descriptions option, the descriptions can be updated to all be in uppercase or capitalize the first letter in each word, or to individually edit the descriptions for account numbers in a list (grid).

The Change Descriptions option is also available under the Options menu in all the Reference Files except the Fund File, in order to update the descriptions for the reference pieces if needed.

For more details, click here to view the Change Descriptions Option in Chart of Accounts Tutorial.

Employee Check Calculation

The Employee Check Calculation option in Payroll is a great tool to use for employees asking:

• What will my net check be?
• How will a change to my tax exemptions affect my net check?
• How will an increase in contributions to a tax-sheltered annuity impact my net check?

The Employee Check Calculation option completes a simple payroll calculation that can be used to help answer these questions and other “what if” inquiries.  When using the Employee Check Calculation option, the net check amount for an employee can be quickly determined, and changes can be made to calculate different scenarios to view the changes to the net check without updating the current setup in the Employee File.

If after completing the Employee Check Calculation option, an employee does want to proceed with making a change permanent, then the Employee File would need to be updated at that time.

For detailed instructions on using the Employee Check Calculation option, refer to the Completing an Employee Check Calculation topic in the Help File, or click here to view a tutorial on the Employee Check Calculation option.

Support Corner - Amy Feit, Chief Customer Officer

Strengthening Security & Backup Capabilities in the School Accounting System-Online

Over the coming months, all School Accounting System-Online customers will be transitioned to our enhanced security environment.  If your district has not yet completed this upgrade, you can expect to hear from our Customer Support team to schedule your transition date in the coming months.

These enhancements are designed to further protect your district’s financial and employee data while improving system resiliency and recovery capabilities.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Now Required

As part of this upgrade, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) will be required for all SAS-Online users.  MFA was previously optional; it will now be enforced for every login.

• Users will continue logging in with their existing username and password.
• Users will complete a brief one-time MFA enrollment (approximately five minutes).
• Future logins will require approval through an authentication app on a phone.

Passwords alone are no longer sufficient protection in today’s environment.  Requiring a second verification step significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access — even if a password is compromised.

Enhanced Hosted Backup & Restore

We are also modernizing backup management within the hosted environment.  In-application backups will be disabled and backups will be securely managed within your hosted environment.

Databases can be restored to a precise point in time — down to the second — within the previous 30 days.  While restores are rarely needed, this improvement provides greater flexibility and peace of mind should the need arise.

What to Expect

Detailed enrollment instructions will be provided prior to the upgrade.

• The MFA enrollment process will be completed on the day of your scheduled transition.
• Our Customer Support team will be available to assist throughout the transition.
• There is no expected downtime during this upgrade.

These enhancements represent an important step forward in strengthening security and improving disaster recovery capabilities for all SAS-Online customers.  We appreciate your partnership as we continue investing in the protection and reliability of your system.

If you have questions, please contact Customer Support at 800.756.0035 ext. 2 or support@su-inc.com.

End of Fiscal Year Trainings

Now that spring has arrived, it will not be long before the end of fiscal year is here.  To help prepare for the upcoming end of fiscal year activities, be sure to register to attend an end of fiscal year workshop or the applicable webinars.  During these sessions, we will review the end of fiscal year checklists for Accounts Payable, Payroll, and General Ledger.

We strongly encourage both new and experienced users to participate in the end of fiscal year training to review the steps that are completed only once each year.  To view the available end of fiscal year trainings and register for a workshop or the webinars, click here to access the Training Calendar.

Unlimited Updates. Unlimited Training. Unlimited Support.

Software licensing doesn’t have to be complicated.  At Software Unlimited, Inc., we’ve designed ours to be straightforward and predictable.  Your license includes unlimited software updates, unlimited workshops and webinars, and unlimited customer support—all at no additional cost.

The School Accounting System is built to meet both state and federal reporting requirements, and our inclusive licensing ensures you continue receiving updates and enhancements without unexpected fees.  In recent years, we’ve introduced tools to support federal electronic form submissions and a growing list of state reporting mandates.  As the system continues to evolve, we encourage you to keep an eye on release notes to stay up to date on what’s new.

We also want to help you get the most out of the system.  Whether you’re new or just looking to sharpen your skills, you can take advantage of our hands-on workshops, live webinars, and on-demand recordings to better leverage the features available to you.  Check out our upcoming training opportunities.

And when you need help, we’re here.  Our Customer Support team understands that your time is limited and your responsibilities are broad.  You shouldn’t have to wait hours—or days—for answers.  With more than 50% our support calls answered live, you can count on timely, reliable assistance when you need it most.

Training Snippets

Each quarter the Training Snippets tutorial covers topics for new options or changes included in recent updates, along with a quick tip for an option or shortcut.

A few of the topics included in the Training Snippets tutorial for March 2026 are:  new parameters on a few reports; columns added or moved for Employee and Vendor searches; Clear Defaults button added to Import screens; Pay Code changes for reporting overtime; Vendor Inquiry changes to include Credit Card Payment batch vendors; new reports in Accounts Payable and General Ledger; changes for Web Link modern experience in Cash Receipts, Leave Requests, and Purchase Orders; and lastly a reminder of making changes to an active invoice.

Click here (or on the image) to watch the 8-minute tutorial.  To review all the changes and enhancements included in recent updates, click here to view the release notes.

Trivia Challenge

It is time for another Software Unlimited, Inc. Trivia Challenge.  In each newsletter, we will test your knowledge by asking a question on various topics ranging from options in the School Accounting System to information about the company of Software Unlimited, Inc.  If you are up to the challenge, try to answer the question and you may be eligible to win a USB flash drive.

Q.  What module allows staff to enter and submit requisitions and leave requests for electronic approval; access pay stubs, W2s, 1095s, and leave balances; and view/update personal information?  Click to answer

A winner will be selected at random from the list of correct respondents.  Don’t forget to read the Trivia Challenge article in the next newsletter to see the winner and correct answer.  Good luck!

In last quarter’s newsletter, the Trivia Challenge asked, What field can be used with entering or importing time cards to calculate overtime proportionately to the hours worked at various pay codes for employees who are paid with multiple pay codes?  The answer is the Prorate Overtime field available on the screen when creating a new batch of time cards; for more information on prorating overtime with time cards, click here to view the Prorate Overtime Tutorial.  Congratulations to Elizabeth Piening from Holdrege Public Schools for being selected at random from the list of correct respondents and winning a USB flash drive.

Closures

Software Unlimited, Inc. will be closed on:

April 3 for Good Friday

May 25 for Memorial Day

Staff Spotlight - Paul Carland

I joined the Software Unlimited support team in September 2024.  I enjoy helping our customers get the most out of our software by working through their challenges and finding solutions to make their day easier.  Every day presents a new challenge, and I appreciate the opportunity to help make technology and fund accounting less intimidating.  When I’m not at Software Unlimited, I enjoy diving into new technologies, creative design, and cheering my son and daughter on from the sidelines.

Customer Showcase

Each quarter we are excited to feature one of our customers who was selected randomly to be highlighted in our Customer Showcase.   The customer being showcased this quarter is Ellen Schmahl who is the Business Manager at Deuel School District in South Dakota.  We had these questions for her:

How long have you been using the School Accounting System?
• I have worked at the district for six and a half years.  I started off as the Assistant Business Manager and am currently the Business Manager.
What module do you spend most of your time working in?
• I spend quite a bit of time in all three core modules:  Payroll, General Ledger and Accounts Payable.
What is your favorite feature in the School Accounting System?
• I use CTRL+R frequently to repeat information from my previous entry.  The shortcut keys help me save time!
What are three words you would use to describe the School Accounting System?
• Excellent customer service, user-friendly, and reliable.
What is your favorite part of working at your organization?
• Seeing the kids on a daily basis.  I get to see my grandchildren more often than I would working outside of the district.
What are your hobbies?
• I like card making, scrapbooking, and camping.  We enjoy visiting the state parks in South Dakota.  My family loves disc golfing, so we like to choose parks based on that.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone who is new to using the School Accounting System?
• Do not be afraid to use customer support.  Support is phenomenal and usually I don’t have to wait more than five minutes after submitting my question.  Having that type of support is great.