| Nutrition Services Division |
|
| To: National School Lunch Program Sponsors |
Number: 04-126 |
| Attention: Food Service Director |
Date: October 2004 |
| Subject: 2004-05 Attendance Factor and Required Meal Count Edit Checks |
|
| Reference: U.S. Department of Agriculture CNP Information Memo 04-23 (September 15, 2004); and Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 210.2 and 210.8(a)(3) | |
| Supersedes: Management Bulletin 03-122 (August 2003) | |
This Management Bulletin provides the 2004-05 average daily attendance factor. Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) calculates the attendance factor using the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
Background
Prior to filing a claim for reimbursement, USDA requires National School Lunch Program sponsors to perform daily meal count "edit checks" using an annual "attendance factor." Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), Part 210.2 defines the attendance factor as ". . . a percentage developed no less than once each school year which accounts for the difference between enrollment and attendance . . ." (i.e., the average percentage of enrolled students typically attending school on any given day). To perform daily meal count edit checks as required in 7 CFR 210.8(a)(3), sponsors must multiply the number of enrolled children approved for each meal eligibility category (free, reduced-price, and paid) by the annual attendance factor. The results, referred to as "attendance-adjusted eligible" figures, are to be compared to the daily counts of free, reduced-price, and paid lunches served. Recorded daily meal counts should not exceed the attendance-adjusted eligible figures in any meal eligibility category on any school day without written justification (e.g., pizza day; special promotion; non-pricing event, etc.). Meal counts reported on a reimbursement claim must not exceed the number of children approved in any meal eligibility category.
2004-05 Attendance Factor
For school year (SY) 2004-05, USDA has calculated an attendance factor of 93.6 percent. Effective July 2004, sponsors must use the 93.6 percent attendance factor for each site's daily meal count edits prior to the submission of their monthly reimbursement claims. As allowed in prior years, sponsors may also develop their own attendance factors using data that apply district or agency-wide, or to individual sites. The California Department of Education will apply the 93.6 percent attendance factor (or the sponsor's actual site or agency-wide attendance factor) to meal counts during Coordinated Review Efforts (CREs) conducted for the SY 2004-05.
Attached are three sample Daily Meal Count Edit Work Sheets that may be used for traditional or year-round school sites. The first sample (Attachment 1) assists school sites in computing daily meal count edit checks; the second sample (Attachment 2) assists school sites with multiple tracks in computing daily meal count edit checks; and the third sample (Attachment 3) assists school sites in computing their monthly free, reduced-price, and paid category numbers for comparison against their actual daily meal counts. Sponsors may use any or all of these work sheets, or develop their own.
While the use of any of the attached sample work sheets is optional, documentation of your edit checks is required. All edit check forms must incorporate the data requested on the attached sample work sheets.
If you have any questions regarding edit checks or the attendance factor, please contact your Nutrition Services Division representative or the Field Services Unit at 916-445-0850 or 800-952-5609.
Note: Superseded by Management Bulletin 05-116.
