Free & Reduced Meal Eligibility

1. Free & Reduced Meal Eligibility Regulations & Procedures

2. Words & Terms: • Determining Official, Approving Official & Certifying Official ---- All refer to the person responsible for determining/approving the eligibility of the application

3. Hearing Official: Person/Position designated in the “District Policy Statement” that is responsible for hearing appeals of benefit status Terms (Cont’d)

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

5. 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

6. Student Eligibility Prior to Processing NEW Applications: • Prior Year Applications • Returning Students: Last year’s 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 year’s status

7. REMEMBER!!! • IN ORDER FOR STUDENTS TO EAT ON LAST YEAR’S STATUS, THERE MUST BE AN APPROVED APPLICATION ON FILE OR STUDENT MUST BE ON A LIST TO SUPPORT THE ELIGIBILITY!!!

8. DIRECT CERTIFICATION STUDENTS All SCHOOLS MUST PARTICIPATE IN DIRECT CERTIFICATION

9. YOU MUST USE THE NEW LIST BEGINNING THE 1ST DAY OF NEW SCHOOL YEAR. Direct Certification

10. 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.

11. 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 .

12. 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

13. 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

14. AR Categorical Eligibility with TEA No Longer Applies: • AFDC • TANF

15. 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

17. Social security number of adult who signs the application Signature of Adult household member The Application

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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 .

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

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

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

24. Applications Should Be Temporarily Approved in the Following Situations: • Temporary Layoffs • Strikes (voluntary work stoppage) • Zero income, for whatever reason • Temporary Disability • Worker’s comp

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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.

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

29. 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.

30. Household Fails to Apply (cont’d) • 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.)

31. Household Fails to Apply (cont’d) • Household must be notified of student’s eligibility for free or reduced price meals

32. 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.

33. 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

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

35. 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.

36. Homeless Cont’d • 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.

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

38. Eligible for meals if designated by LEA Migrant Education Program (MEP) Coordinator. Migrant Youth Cont.

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

40. Migrant Youth Cont. • Household must be notified of child’s eligibility by determining official. • If household has submitted an application it must be disregarded and attached to the Migrant Student List.

41. 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.

42. 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.

43. ADE Migrant Education Adm. William Cosme William.Cosme@arkansas.gov Phone: (501) 324-9660

44. Written Notification Required for Denied Applications The notification must advise the household of the following information.

45. 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.

46. Extended Benefits • ADE Director’s Memo IA-05-034 • Households may be approved for benefits for the entire school year.

47. Extended Benefits (cont’d) • THE HOUSEHOLDS NO LONGER ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN: • Household income increases • Household is no longer eligible for food stamps • Household decreases.

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. 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.