Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Merge Requests in NJSLEDS
Use an ID merge request when two or more State Identification Numbers (SIDs) or Staff Member Identifiers (SMIDs) belong to the same person and need to be consolidated. Merge requests are available for Student Management and Staff Management records.
Get your template inside NJSLEDS
Select Contact Help Desk on the NJSLEDS system homepage. Merge templates are provided through the case form after you submit the case details. Use the template provided for your request, and submit the completed file through the same case. Merge requests sent by email will not be processed.
Before you begin
Confirm through authoritative district records that every identifier in the request belongs to the same person. A processed merge consolidates statewide records and may affect which identifier remains active. Review the Outcome File to confirm the final identifier after processing.
1. Check that a merge is the right request
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Two or more SIDs or SMIDs belong to the same person. | Submit a Merge Request using the student or staff template provided through the case form. |
| The person has one correct SID or SMID and supported demographic information on the statewide record is incorrect. | Review Field Change Requests in NJSLEDS. |
| A record or file was submitted in error and should not exist in NJSLEDS. | Review Record Deletion Requests in NJSLEDS to determine whether deletion is appropriate. |
| The identifiers belong to different people who have similar identifying information. | Do not submit a merge. Verify each person’s identity and identifiers through authoritative district records. Contact the Help Desk if the records appear incorrectly linked. |
| An enrollment, role, assignment, or other submission record is incorrect. | Correct the information in your local source system and upload the updated submission file. |
Do not merge siblings, relatives, or other individuals into one record. Confirm that the identifiers belong to one person before submitting the request.
2. Create your merge case in NJSLEDS
Create the case before preparing the request file so you can download the template that matches your request. Submit the completed template and student or staff information through this secure case process.
- Log into NJSLEDS and select Contact Help Desk on the system homepage. For screenshots, see How to Submit an NJSLEDS Help Desk Case (PDF).
- If the Known Issues screen appears, review the options and select the issue that matches your situation. Select None of the above if none apply, then select Next.
- Confirm your name, email address, and district ID, then enter your phone number and extension, if applicable.
- Route the request using the selections below, enter a short description in Details, and submit the case form.
- Keep your case number. On the next screen, use the template download and file upload options provided for that case.
| Case form field | Selection |
|---|---|
| Type | ID Change Management |
| Sub Type | Merge Request |
| Sub Category | Student Management or Staff Management |
Field changes, merges, and deletions each require their own case and request file. Include multiple merge requests in one correctly completed template when the template allows it.
3. Download the correct template from the case form
- After submitting the case details, download the Template File for Upload that matches the Sub Category you selected.
- If a Sample Template File for Reference is provided, use it to review a completed example. Complete the Template File for Upload with your own merge requests.
- Use the template provided through the case instead of a previously saved copy. Follow its instructions and keep the headers in their existing order.
If the template is missing or does not match your selected Sub Category, contact the Help Desk before proceeding. The fields for each merge type are listed below.
Student ID Merge (SID)
Use the SID Merge Request template when two or more SIDs belong to the same student. Select Student Management as the Sub Category in the case form.
Common reasons for a SID merge
- A student transferred between districts and a new SID was created instead of using the existing SID.
- A name change resulted in a new SID being created instead of updating the existing statewide record.
- A student enrolled in multiple programs under different districts without linking to the original SID.
- A new SID was created instead of selecting the existing SID from the search results.
Fields on the template
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Date of Request | Enter the request date in YYYYMMDD format. |
| First Name Last Name Date of Birth |
Enter the student’s legal first name, legal last name, and date of birth as required by the current template. |
| SID #1, #2, #3, #4 District Code #1, #2, #3, #4 |
Enter each SID and its associated district code. SID #1 and #2 are required. Complete SID #3 and #4 when more than two SIDs belong to the same student. |
| SID to KEEP | Enter the SID requested for retention. This SID must also appear in one of the numbered SID fields. Review the Outcome File to confirm the final SID after processing. |
| Cohort Year | Complete this field for high school students using the expected graduation cohort year. |
| Comments | Complete this required field for every request. Confirm that the listed SIDs belong to the same student and acknowledge that the merge cannot be undone. |
Staff ID Merge (SMID)
Use the SMID Merge Request template when two or more SMIDs belong to the same staff member. Select Staff Management as the Sub Category in the case form.
Common reasons for an SMID merge
- A staff member moved to a new district or works in multiple districts, and a new SMID was created instead of using the existing SMID.
- A name change resulted in a new SMID being created instead of updating the existing statewide record.
- A staff member works in a charter school, private provider, or shared service arrangement, and a new SMID was created instead of linking to the existing SMID.
Fields on the template
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Date of Request | Enter the request date in YYYYMMDD format. |
| First Name Last Name Date of Birth |
Enter the staff member’s legal first name, legal last name, and date of birth as required by the current template. |
| SMID #1, #2, #3, #4 District Code #1, #2, #3, #4 |
Enter each SMID and its associated district code. SMID #1 and #2 are required. Complete SMID #3 and #4 when more than two SMIDs belong to the same staff member. |
| SMID to KEEP | Enter the SMID requested for retention. This SMID must also appear in one of the numbered SMID fields. Review the Outcome File to confirm the final SMID after processing. |
| Comments | Complete this required field for every request. Confirm that the listed SMIDs belong to the same staff member and acknowledge that the merge cannot be undone. |
4. Complete and upload your request file
Choose the identifier requested for retention
Enter the requested SID or SMID in the applicable to KEEP field and include that identifier among the numbered IDs. Processing history or a previous merge may require NJSLEDS to retain a different identifier. The Outcome File identifies the final SID or SMID when that occurs.
Complete the template
- Identify every SID or SMID in NJSLEDS that belongs to the same person. Verify each identifier through authoritative district records.
- Enter each identifier and its associated district code in the numbered fields. Use at least the first two identifier and district-code pairs.
- Enter the identifier requested for retention in the applicable to KEEP field.
- Complete the remaining fields required by the current student or staff template, including Comments.
- Keep the template headers and column order unchanged.
Keep leading zeros when working in Excel
Follow General FAQs, Q24: Preserving leading zeros when opening or importing a CSV file. Student SIDs must contain 10 numeric digits, and staff SMIDs must contain 8 numeric digits. Check every identifier before uploading.
Save as CSV UTF-8
Save the completed template sheet as CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv). Excel workbooks (.xlsx or .xls) are not accepted as request uploads. Save the sheet containing your completed merge requests. For saving instructions, including the alternative when CSV UTF-8 is unavailable, see General FAQs, Q23: Saving as CSV UTF-8.
Check the saved file before uploading
- You used the Template File for Upload provided in your case for the correct Sub Category.
- Every identifier in each request belongs to the same person.
- Each SID contains 10 numeric digits or each SMID contains 8 numeric digits, including leading zeros.
- Every identifier has its associated district code.
- The identifier requested for retention also appears in a numbered identifier field.
- All other required fields and Comments are complete.
- The headers and column order remain unchanged.
- The saved file contains the intended requests and is in CSV UTF-8 format.
Upload the file to the case you created
- In the case’s file upload area, select Upload File or drag and drop the completed CSV UTF-8 file. If you left the case while preparing the file, select View All Cases on the NJSLEDS system homepage and open the case number you saved.
- Confirm that the correct file name appears in the case. Creating the case alone does not provide the completed request file for processing.
- Track the result in that case. Do not email the completed template or open another case just to upload the file.
5. Review the result
From the NJSLEDS system homepage, select View All Cases and open your case number. In the Requested and Processed Files table, review the file status and open the Outcome File when it is available. The Outcome File gives the result for each submitted merge.
| File status | What it means | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| In review | The file was received and is being reviewed. | No action is needed unless the Help Desk contacts you. |
| Processed Successfully | All submitted merge requests were successful. | Review and save the Outcome File, then confirm the final identifiers in NJSLEDS. |
| Processed with Errors | Some merge requests succeeded and some failed. | Review the Outcome File, correct the failed requests when directed, and upload an updated request file to the same case. |
| Failed | All submitted merge requests failed. | Review the Outcome File and use the troubleshooting guidance below before taking the action identified in the result. |
Review the Outcome File even when processing succeeds. Confirm which SID or SMID remains active for each person. Update the identifier in your local source system before the next NJSLEDS upload so future records use the final identifier.
For screenshots and the full workflow, see the Case Requests Guide (PDF).
6. Troubleshoot an unsuccessful request
Review the result for each merge in the Outcome File. Use the guidance below for the issue described in your result. The result determines whether you should correct the request file, update your local source system, or contact the Help Desk.
The SID or SMID requested for retention was not found
Verify where the identifier was obtained and compare it with the statewide record. Check for transposed numbers, missing digits, extra spaces, and leading zeros removed while preparing the file.
If the identifier was entered incorrectly, correct the request file and upload the updated CSV UTF-8 file to the same case. If the identifier appears correct, add a case comment identifying the authoritative source where it was found.
The SID or SMID requested for retention was previously merged
The identifier entered in the to KEEP field has already been merged into another identifier. The active identifier should appear in the Outcome File.
Update your local source system to use the active identifier identified in the Outcome File, then use that identifier in future NJSLEDS uploads. Add a comment to the case if the reported active identifier appears incorrect.
NJSLEDS retained a different final identifier
NJSLEDS may retain an identifier with historical data instead of the identifier requested in the to KEEP field. The Outcome File identifies the final SID or SMID retained after the merge.
Update the identifier in your local source system to match the final identifier in the Outcome File before submitting future records for that person.
An identifier, district code, or required field is missing or invalid
Review the field identified in the Outcome File and compare it with the current template requirements. Confirm that each request includes at least two identifiers, the associated district codes, one requested identifier to keep, and all additional required fields.
Correct the request and upload the updated CSV UTF-8 file to the same case. Use General FAQs, Q24 if an identifier lost leading zeros.
The identifiers cannot be confirmed as belonging to one person
Compare the identifiers and person details with authoritative district records. Do not proceed with the merge when the records may belong to different people.
Contact the Help Desk through the existing case and describe the records you reviewed. Keep personally identifiable information inside the secure case and file upload process.
The file type or header row was rejected
Use the Template File for Upload provided in your case and preserve its headers and column order. Save the completed request sheet in CSV UTF-8 format. Excel workbooks and reference or instruction sheets are not accepted as request files.
See General FAQs, Q23 for saving instructions. Correct the file issue and upload the updated request to the same case.
If the result does not identify the problem or the guidance cannot be completed for your records, contact the Help Desk with your case number and explain what you reviewed. To follow up, open the existing case and add a comment when that option is available. If you cannot add a comment or access the case, call 609-376-3970 and provide the case number. Keep student and staff data within the secure case and file upload process.
