Student Store

The main purpose of a student store is to help students to learn how to operate a business enterprise, including all the record keeping, ordering, cash and inventory responsibilities.

PROCEDURES

A. SUPERVISION OF WORKERS

1. A student store must have adult supervision when in operation.
2. An adult should select and schedule all student workers.
3. A minimum of two people should be present when the student store is operating.
4. The number of student workers should be limited to allow for proper supervision and control.
5. Employees are not allowed to eat or drink while working in the store.
6. Student store workers must have segregated duties in order to have the necessary accounting controls and efficiency.
7. Specific duties:
   (a.) One person to take the customer’s order, receive the cash due for the purchase, count the money received from the customer and provide the appropriate change before placing any money received into the register or cash box.
   (b.) The second person to retrieve the product from the shelf, verify the price with the cashier, and deliver the product to the customer.

B. STUDENT STORE SECURITY

1. Student store operations shall only take place in a secure surrounding (an office, secured room, etc.) where customers cannot reach money or merchandise or easily walk behind the counter.
2. The adult supervisor is to observe the operation at all times.
3. All student stores must use cash registers or cash boxes with a working lock.
4. No money should be left exposed at any time, except when receiving payment or giving change to the customer.
5. At the end of the shift, all money must be stored in a secure place.
6. When the store closes for the day, all money (cash receipts and change fund) must be stored in the business office safe.
7. The store must be locked when not open for business.  When it is open, only designated workers and/or adult supervisor are to be behind the counter.  Designated workers do not leave the store unattended at any time while open for business.  In case of emergency, the adult supervisor and school management are to have keys to the student store.

C. CASH HANDLING

1. Cash registers or locking cash boxes must be used in all student stores.  Cash registers are strongly encouraged.
2. Sales are to take place only when the store is open for business.
3. All sales must be rung up on the register at the time of sale (not applicable to stores using cash boxes.)
4. No sales are to be made on credit.
5. If checks are accepted, they are to be endorsed immediately upon receipt.
6. The adult store supervisor must document all returns at the time of the transaction.
7. The adult store supervisor must document all over rings at the time of the transaction (not applicable to stores using cash boxes.)
8. Cash in the store register or cash box is not to be used for personal convenience (i.e. make change or cash a check when no sale has been made.)
9. There will be no free merchandise allowed to any employee.
10. If the store employee is going to purchase a store item, they must do so at the end of their shift and another employee must transact the sale.
11. A minimum of two people, including shift cashier will count all cash at the end of each shift.  The adult supervisor is to oversee the cash counting.
    (a.) After the cash has been counted, a reconciliation form must be completed and signed by those who counted the cash.
    (b.) At the end of each shift, a designated person submits all cash receipts to the fiscal tech in the business office.
12. No cash shall be kept in the student store when the store is not in operation.
13. The fiscal tech, upon receipt of the cash receipts from the student store should:
    (a.) Count the cash receipts in the presence of the person submitting the cash.
    (b.) Complete a pre-numbered receipt for the cash received in accordance with general school policy.
    (c.) Deposit the cash receipts, in accordance with general school policy, or place them in the school safe until the deposit is made.
14. The change fund in the cash register or cash box in the student store is to be returned to the fiscal tech when the store is not in operation for storage in the school safe.
15. A copy of the completed reconciliation form and the pre-numbered receipt received from the fiscal tech should be retained in the permanent file for the student store.

D. PERMANENT RECORDS AND INVENTORY

Student store accounting records are public records and are to be retained according to the State guidelines for records retention.