| Nutrition Services Division |
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To: National School Lunch Program Sponsors, School Breakfast Program Sponsors |
Number: 04-103 |
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Attention: Food Service Director |
Date: August 2004 |
| Subject: Implementation of Final Rule on Verification of Applications for Free and Reduced-Price Meals |
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| Reference: Title 7, Code of Federal Regulation Part 245; Federal Register Vol. 68, No. 176, September 11, 2003 |
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a final rule that amends the reporting and recordkeeping requirements for districts, private schools, and residential child care institutions that verify eligibility of households applying for benefits under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). (The annual verification process confirms that applications for free and reduced-price meal benefits are certified accurately.)
The final rule, effective with the school year beginning July 1, 2004, does not change the manner in which the application and verification process is conducted. It requires that sponsors report their verification data and results to the California Department of Education (CDE). CDE will then report consolidated verification results for all NSLP and SBP sponsors to USDA by April 15 of each year, beginning in 2005. Currently, districts/schools must maintain data on the results of verified applications; however, now sponsors are required to collect and summarize the verification data differently than in the past.
For the annual report to CDE, sponsors will need to collect and summarize the following three data points for each verified application:
- Number of students on the application approved for benefits
- Original basis for approval of the application (e.g., Food Stamp/CalWORKs case number; household income/size)
- Status of the application after verification
Sponsors must report the number of students eligible for free meals and applications approved for free meals broken down by:
- Those not subject to verification (e.g., directly certified, residential students in Residential Child Care Institutions, homeless)
- Those approved based on categorical eligibility
- Those approved based on income/household size information
- Those reported for Provision 2/3 schools which are not operating a base year
Sponsors must also report the total number of students eligible for reduced-price meals and applications approved for reduced-price meals.
By December 1, 2004, CDE plans to provide sponsors with a Microsoft Excel reporting tool and submission instructions. In order to meet USDA's reporting deadlines, CDE will require sponsors to electronically report the verification results to CDE by January 15, 2005. CDE will provide individual assistance to sponsors that are not able to electronically report data.
