Free

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Free Reduced Meal Eligibility

• Regulations Procedures

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Words Terms

• Determining Official, Approving Official
  Certifying Official ---- All refer to the person
  responsible for determining/approving the
  eligibility of the application

3
Terms (Contd)

• Hearing Official Person/Position designated in
  the District Policy Statement that is
  responsible for hearing appeals of benefit status

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Confirming Official

• Since School Year 05-06
• Must be someone other
• than the determining official.
• Confirming and verifying
• official may be the same.

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EACH SCHOOL YEAR

• TO CLAIM REBURSEMENT FOR MEALS - SCHOOL MUST
• Distribute applications to every student,
• can not require students to complete an
  application
• Have on file a completed, currently approved
  application for each student
• Applications must be maintained in a manner that
  they may be retrievable by school

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Student Eligibility Prior to Processing NEW
Applications

• Prior Year Applications
• Returning Students Last years eligibility good
  for only 30 operating days in new school year
  (suggest 20)
• New Students from households approved the
  previous year have the same eligibility
• Transfer or Promoted Students within same school
  district - eat on last years status

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REMEMBER!!!

• IN ORDER FOR STUDENTS TO EAT
• ON LAST YEARS STATUS,
• THERE MUST BE AN APPROVED APPLICATION ON
  FILE
• OR STUDENT MUST BE ON A LIST
• TO SUPPORT THE ELIGIBILITY!!!

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DIRECT CERTIFICATION STUDENTS

• All SCHOOLS MUST PARTICIPATE IN DIRECT
  CERTIFICATION

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Direct Certification

• YOU MUST USE THE NEW LIST BEGINNING THE 1ST
  DAY OF NEW SCHOOL YEAR.

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Direct Certification

• If part of the household is on the direct
  certification list and the one child is not, that
  child must have an application form.
• If one child is certified in the household for
  direct certification (DC), and another child has
  an application for reduced meals the household
  becomes an reduced household and the DC child
  must be changed to reduced.

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PROCESSING TIMELINES

• Should process Kindergarten and new student
  applications first.
• Applications must be processed and household
  notified of eligibility status within 10 working
  days AFTER RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION .
• 
  

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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• STUDENTS CAN BE
• CATEGORICALLY ELIGIBLE
• Food Stamp
• Homeless
• Migrant Youth
• By Either
• 1. Completing Application with Food Stamp
  Number
• OR
• 2. Directly Certified by Computer Matched
• OR
• 3. List for Homeless or Migrant

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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Student Can Be
• Income Eligible with a Household Application
• Must Submit a Complete Household Application
• Household income is at or below the income
  guidelines

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AR Categorical Eligibility with TEA No Longer
Applies

• AFDC
• TANF

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Application Approved based on Food Stamp
Eligibility

• Must contain the name of the student
• The appropriate food stamp case number
• Signature of Adult Household Member

16
Application Approved based on Income Information

• Names of all household members - including the
  student for whom the application is made
• Current Income received by each household member

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The Application

• Social security number of adult who signs the
  application
• Signature of Adult household member

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Income Reported on Application

• Amount of income received the previous month.
• Income must be identified with individual who
  received it.
• Determining Official must compute income and
  compare it to the eligibility guidelines

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To Compute Monthly Income

• Multiply Gross Income
• By 4.33 for weekly income, to determine
  monthly.
• By 2.15 for every two weeks, to determine
  monthly.
• By 2 for twice a month, to determine monthly.

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Incomplete Applications

• Missing Required Information
• It must be obtained before determination can be
  made.
• To secure missing information
• Contact Household by phone
• or in writing. Document details of
  household response, initial date.
• Return application to household with note about
  information needed .

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EXCEPTION !!!!!

• If missing a signature of adult household member,
  the application must be returned for signature.

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Please make every effort to secure missing
information before denying the application.
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TEMPORARY APPROVAL

• When a household reports
• Zero Income
• OR
• Temporary Reduction of Income
• Eligibility must be determined based on the
  present rate of income.

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Applications Should Be Temporarily Approved in
the Following Situations

• Temporary Layoffs
• Strikes (voluntary work stoppage)
• Zero income, for whatever reason
• Temporary Disability
• Workers comp

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TEMPORARY APPROVAL

• Length of approval is for a maximum of ninety
  days (90) calendar days for (Arkansas).
• Application status must be rechecked for changes
  every 90 days by determining official.

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EXCEPTION Foster Children/Wards of the State

• Zero income on an application for a foster child
  or institutionalized child is acceptable and may
  be approved for the school year.

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Foster Child

• A foster child is a child who is living with a
  household but who remains the legal
  responsibility of the welfare agency or court.
• This child is considered a household of one.

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Divorced or Separated Parents

• Children of divorced or separated parents are
  generally part of the household that has custody.

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Household Fails to Apply

• Determining Official may complete an application
  for needy students by
• Completing application with best source of
  household size and income information.

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Household Fails to Apply (contd)

• The source of information must be noted on the
  application. (Names of household members, social
  security number and signature of an adult
  household member need NOT be secured.)

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Household Fails to Apply (contd)

• Household must be notified of students
  eligibility for free or reduced price meals

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Household Fails to Apply

• This option is intended for LIMITED USE in
  individual situations.
• It must not be used to make eligibility
  determinations for categories or groups of
  students.

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Homeless Children

• Eligible for free meals if designated by LEA
  Homeless Liaison. (IA-03-005)
• Definition of Homeless-
• Share housing due to loss of home
• Living in shelter, motel, camp grounds
• Nighttime residence in a place not ordinarily
  used-abandoned buildings, cars, parks, etc.
• Migratory children who live in these circumstances

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Homeless Children

• LEA Homeless Liaison must provide a certified
  list to CN Director/Determining Official each
  school year.
• Childs Name
• Effective Date
• Signature of the LEA Homeless Liaison

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Homeless Children

• LEA Homeless Liaison must notify CN
  Director/Determining Official when these children
  leave or are no longer homeless.
• Determining official is responsible for giving
  household a free reduced price application.

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Homeless Contd

• Grandparents who may have temporary custody of a
  grand child that may be awaiting foster care
  placement may be an example of a homeless child
  situation.

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Migrant Youth

• The Five Arkansas Migrant Education Regional
  Cooperatives will provide list of qualified
  migrant students to the district Superintendent.
• See ADE Directors Memo IA-05-033, 8/31/2004.

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Migrant Youth Cont.

• Eligible for meals if designated by LEA Migrant
  Education Program (MEP) Coordinator.

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Migrant Youth Cont.

• LEA MEP Coordinator must provide a certified list
  to CN Director/Determining Official each year
• Childs Name
• Qualification Date of Migrant Status
• Signature of MEP Coordinator from the Regional
  Migrant Education Cooperative
• No application is needed.

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Migrant Youth Cont.

• Household must be notified of childs eligibility
  by determining official.
• If household has submitted an application it must
  be disregarded and attached to the Migrant
  Student List.

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Migrant Youth Cont.

• LEA MEP Coordinator must notify Determining
  Official when these children leave or are no
  longer migrant.
• Determining Official is responsible for giving
  household a free and reduced priced application.

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Migrant Youth Cont.

• If student transfers to new district, each school
  should attempt to share free meal eligibility
  status with new school.
• The Regional Migrant Coordinator will notify
  superintendent of any new migrant students.

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ADE Migrant Education Adm.

• William Cosme
• William.Cosme_at_arkansas.gov
• Phone [phone]

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Written Notification Required for Denied
Applications

• The notification must advise the household of
  the following
• information.

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Written Notification must have

• The reason for the denial of benefits
• The right to appeal
• Instructions on how to appeal, and
• A statement that households may reapply for free
  and reduced price benefits at any time during the
  school year.

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Extended Benefits

• ADE Directors Memo IA-05-034
• Households may be approved for benefits for the
  entire school year.

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Extended Benefits (contd)

• THE HOUSEHOLDS NO LONGER ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY
  SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN
• Household income increases
• Household is no longer eligible for food stamps
• Household decreases.

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Extended Benefits Cont.

• CHANGE DOES NOT APPLY UNDER THE FOLLOWING
  CIRCUMSTANCES
• Original eligibility certification of household
  was incorrect.
• Verification of household eligibility does not
  support the benefits being received.
• Household has been temporarily approved for
  benefits.

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Extended Benefits cont.

• If the household summits an application later in
  the school year that would decrease the benefits,
  the district may do the following
• The family may continue with the benefits
  approved at beginning of the year or choose the
  reduced benefits.

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Extended Benefits cont.

• The district may decide to provide the family a
  notification that the eligibility for increased
  benefits established at the beginning of the
  school year is good for the entire year and no
  action will be taken on the second application.

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Extended Benefits cont.

• Districts may notify households and community of
  the change
• Note to households
• Newspaper article
• Announcement at parent meetings
• Etc.

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Military Income for Deployed

• FIN-06-033, 9-19-05,
• States that any Family Subsistence Supplemental
  Allowance (FSSA)

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Military Deployed (contd)

• FSSA benefits that a household receives
  MUST NOT BE TREATED as income to the household,
  and that the deployed service member will
  continue to be considered a household member.

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Military Households in Privatized Housing

• Privatized housing refers to Military Housing
  Privatization Initiative.
• A program operating at a number of military
  installations.
• Military owned housing is under private
  contractors.

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Military Households in Privatized Housing Cont.

• Housing allowance is on the leave and earnings
  statement of service members living in privatized
  housing.
• This income exclusion is only for service members
  living in this type of military housing.
• It is not an allowable exclusion for households
  living off-base in general commercial/private
  real estate market.

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Military

• Therefore, if the household is not living on base
  the income must be included.

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Earned Income Tax Credit

• The Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
  should not be included as income in determining
  eligibility. The EITC may be a refund of taxes
  withheld, or a cash payment in excess of funds
  withheld. The exclusion would apply to both
  federal and state EITC credits.

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Preschool Children

• Refer to Memo FIN-06-015
• Dated 8/17/2005
• Districts that operate pre-K programs can choose
  which state agency- operated USDA program will
  provide pre-K meals.
• Please call us for specific situations.

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Denied Applications

• Must have
• Identify and retain on file reasons for denial
• Date of denial
• Date Denial Notice is sent to Household
• Signature or initial of determining official

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APPEALS

• Households may appeal
• Denial of Benefits
• Level of Benefits

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Appeals (contd)

• When a household requests an appeal, the hearing
  procedures outlined in the districts policy
  statement must be followed.

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Record keeping

• Approved Applications
• Must have
• Date application is approved
• Level of benefit for each student approved
• Signature or initial of determining official

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RECORD KEEPING

• All Applications Free, Reduced, Denied, and
  Inactive SHALL be kept on file for a minimum of 5
  years.
• 2007-2008 Current Year
• 2006-2007 Year ONE
• 2005-2006 Year TWO
• 2004-2005 Year THREE
• 2003-2004 Year FOUR
• 2002-2003 Year FIVE

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EXCEPTION for Record keeping

• Files must be kept longer if they are required
  by
• Audit Findings.
• If audit findings have not been resolved, the
  applications must be maintained as long as
  required for resolution of the issues raised by
  audit.
• Pay back of Reimbursement Is Required by
  Coordinated Review Efforts (CRE) Findings.

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Record Keeping

• Changes in Application Status
• Application must have
• Note of change
• Date of change
• Change communicated on any rosters

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Transferred Students (contd)

• When a child transfers to another school within
  the district, schools must make sure rosters are
  updated to show the date transferred and the
  the new school must show the date received.
• Central storage of applications is the key.

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Hungry Kids Cant LearnThank You for Helping
Them!