Eligibility Guidance for School Meals

1
Eligibility Guidance for School Meals

• Parts 1-3 of Guidance Manual

2
REAUTHORIZATION CHANGES

• Annual SFA training requirement
• Eligibility determinations valid for the entire
  school year
• Centralized application processing
• One application per household

3
BASICS

• FRP packet from CDE
• The ELIGIBILITY GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOL MEALS MANUAL

4
GENERAL REQUIREMENTSPart 1

• CDE must issue FRP policy guidance to
  participating school districts.
• All schools participating in the NSLP or SBP must
  make free and reduced price meals available to
  eligible students.
• (manual, page 6)

5
FREE/RP PACKET

• CONTAINS
• Letter to the Parents
• Application Instructions
• Income Eligibility Guidelines
• Public Release
• Information Release
• Notification Letter for Free/RP Meals
• Available to download from our website

6
FRP Policy StatementPart 2

• Each SFA participating in the NSLP, SBP or the
  SMP must have an approved free and reduced price
  policy statement on file at CDE.
• Policy Statement includes

7
Changes carried forward for 2008-2008 SY

• Breakfast meals will be served at no charge to
  students approved for reduced price meals.
• Letter to Parents (updated)
• Application Instructions (updated)

8
PUBLIC RELEASE

• Attachment D
• Do not attach or distribute the public release
  with the Letter to Parents or Application.
• The public release contains both the free and
  reduced price IEGs it is required that both
  levels be printed if accepted for publication.
• (manual, page 10 white handout, page 13)

9
PUBLIC RELEASE

• The district is not required to pay to have it
  published the media can decide to use it or not.
• The name of the Fair Hearing Official is included
  in the release. This person must be at a higher
  administrative level than the determining
  official.

10
Letter to Parents

• Note there is an updated non-discrimination
  statement
• Includes toll free number, address change and
  shorter in length.
• Discloses only the reduced price Income
  Eligibility guidelines.
• Provides questions and answers about common
  concerns.
• Indicates where to return the application.
• (manual, page 10-11 white handout, page 9)

11
Additional APPLICATION Requirements

• Recent changes that are not in this section of
  the manual
• Only one application per family.
• Food Stamp case number is now seven characters,
  alpha-numeric combination.
• Example 1B4P8S1
• (manual, pages 12-13)

12
APPLICATION

• Foreign language applications (USDA website) and
  household letters should be made available when
  appropriate.
• (manual, page 14)

13
Application Instructions

• Sent with the letter to parents application.
• Lists application requirements and examples of
  types of income to report.
• Instructs parents to complete only one
  application per household.
• (white handout, page 10)

14
APPLICATION

• A prototype is provided, and if changed, must be
  approved by CDE before printed and distributed.
• Application must be included with the Letter to
  Parents.
• (white handout, page 11)

15
APPLICATION

• Applications may only be distributed to schools
  participating in the Child Nutrition Programs
  (CNPs).
• An alternate form, the Family Economic Data
  Survey, must be used for those schools not
  participating in CNPs.
• Food service funds cannot be used for processing
  these alternate forms.

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INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

• Attachment C
• This is for use by the district only.
• Do not post on district website.
• (white handout, page 12)

17
NOTIFICATION LETTER(handout, page 12)

• Denied households must be given notification in
  writing.
• Approved households may be notified in writing or
  by telephone.
• Provides information regarding the right to a
  fair hearing with the name and contact
  information of the fair hearing official.

18
INFORMATION RELEASE

• When signed by parent or guardian, the childs
  eligibility may be released to special school
  related/education programs for benefits such as
  waiving fees.
• The programs name must be descriptive and fully
  identify the reason for the release of their
  childs eligibility status.
• (white handout, page 15)

19
QUESTIONS?

• See pages 15-16 of Income Eligibility Guidance
  Manual for some frequently asked questions and
  answers.