Master Contracts
A master contract is the agreement between your agency and one vendor for a school year. This guide covers building one, what every field means, and turning it into a signature-ready document.
What you'll build
A complete master contract has four parts: the vendor it's with, the term it covers, the services included, and the rates for those services. Once those are in place, SPEDfisc can generate the printed contract - cover page, standard terms, and rate exhibits - automatically.
The vendor must already exist in SPEDfisc. If it doesn't, create the vendor record first - a contract can't be built without one.
Build a master contract
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Create the contract
Open Master Contracts and click New. Choose the Vendor and set the contract Term (start and end dates, e.g. the 2026-2027 school year). SPEDfisc assigns a contract number.
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Add services
In the Services section, click Add Service for each type of support this vendor will provide. Pick the service and set its rate and period (for example, daily or per session).
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Enter rate details
If the contract includes a base education rate or a standardized rate schedule, enter those under Rates. These populate the rate exhibits in the generated document.
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Confirm the parties
Check the authorized representatives for both your agency and the vendor - these names print on the signature block.
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Generate the contract document
Run the Contract report from the contract's page. SPEDfisc produces the full formatted document with your data filled in - ready to review and send for signature. See Generating the contract document below.
Field reference
The fields on a master contract record. * marks a required field.
Contract header
| Field | Required | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract # | Auto | Unique identifier for the contract. | Assigned by SPEDfisc; prints on the cover page. |
| Vendor * | Yes | The provider this contract is with. | Must be an existing vendor. Drives the vendor details throughout the document. |
| Term Start * | Yes | First day the contract is in effect. | Used to compute the written start date on the document. |
| Term End * | Yes | Last day the contract is in effect. | Must be after Term Start. |
| Budget / Amount | Recommended | The contract's total authorized amount. | Formatted as currency in the document body. |
| LEA Representative | Conditional | Your agency's authorized signer. | Prints under the agency signature line. |
Service line
| Field | Required | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service * | Yes | The type of support provided. | Sorted by service code on the printed exhibit. |
| Rate * | Yes | The agreed price. | Appears in the exhibit's RATE column. |
| Period * | Yes | What the rate is per - day, session, month, etc. | Appears in the exhibit's PERIOD column. |
| Notes | No | Any clarification for this service line. | Optional; for internal use. |
Generating the contract document
SPEDfisc turns the contract record into a complete, formatted document - the same standard language every time, with this vendor's specifics merged in.
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Open the contract and run the report
From the master contract's page, choose the Contract report. SPEDfisc uses the current contract as the data source, so the vendor, term, services, and rates all fill in automatically.
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Review before sending
The document opens with a clickable table of contents, the standard terms split into sections, and data-driven rate exhibits. Check the cover page, the services table, and the signature block.
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Export or print
Export to PDF (the outline pane mirrors the table of contents) or print directly, then route for signature however your agency prefers.
Seeing something like [Vendor.Name] printed literally means the report lost
its connection to the contract data. Re-open the report from the master contract's page
so the current contract is supplied as the data source, then run it again.