Lunch Forms – Title I Eligibility

1. Lunch Forms – Title I Eligibility • A School’s Title I eligibility is determined by whether the school’s poverty % meets or exceeds the title I cut-off %. The cut-off for schools located in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx is 40%; while Staten Island’s is 35%. • The poverty % is the number of “free lunch” (Meal Codes “A” and “1”) and reduced price lunch (Meal Code 2) students divided by the audited October 31st register.

2. Lunch Forms – Title I Eligibility • Title I allocations are based on the number of free and reduced price lunch eligible students [poverty % X the October 31st audited register X the borough per capita]. • It is essential, that all schools except USM schools in cycles 2-4 ensure that the lunch form collection procedures have been followed. Failure to do so will negatively: • impact the school’s ability to maximize Title I funding • impact students’ eligibility for Title I Supplementary Education Services in a Title I SINI school. • In December of the current school year, the ATS data will be used to determine the final free lunch count for purposes of Title I eligibility and allocations in the following school year. Principals will be asked to certify this number.

3. Lunch Forms – Ensuring Accuracy in the Free Lunch Count • Any shortcomings identified by audit may result in adverse consequences for a school; for example: • reduction of the free and/or reduced priced lunch count and the associated Title I eligibility percentage • reduction in Title I funds • potential disallowance of reimbursement by the federal government for charges incurred by the NYCDOE for the provision of free and/or reduced price meal services

4. Lunch Forms – Meal Codes The "Meal Code Indicator" in ATS for each student must be correct. A = For students verified as eligible for free lunch by the Human Resources Administration (HRS), the code of A (unchangeable) will appear. For all other students, updating will be required. There are five possible codes: 1 = free lunch [as verified by the SD 1041 form, direct certification letter, or principal's authorization (as described above)]; 2 = reduced price lunch; 3 = full price lunch; 4 = full price lunch – missing information/incomplete form; 5 = full price lunch – no lunch form submitted (& administrative prerogative not exercised). The RCHK report should be generated for the entire register, by grade, class, or alphabetical order, to show the current meal code indicator and identify students without any indicator. EACH STUDENT MUST HAVE A MEAL CODE.

5. Lunch Forms Collection Process • All schools participating in the DOE foodservice program will be required to process and certify the returned applications either by: • entering the resulting meal codes into ATS; or if • a scanning school, forwarding the completed applications via courier service to School Food. • D.3, 11, 15, 24, 31, USM base year schools, disapproved USM Base Year Schools and schools who are using the Title I Verification Form will not be entering data into ATS. Their forms will be sent to the School Food for scanning. • The above does not apply to those at Universal School Meals locations in years two through four of their cycle. • Applications are to be reviewed carefully upon receipt and any missing information which is required to complete the processing, such as the adult signature, should be obtained as quickly as possible.

6. Lunch Form- Title I Verification • New schools located at a Universal School Meals (USM) feeding site, are entitled to serve students free breakfast and lunch in the school cafeteria. • These schools should not distribute the standard School Meals Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meal (SD1041) to students or parents. • However, to establish the number of income-eligible students on your October 31st Register for the purpose of determining Title 1 eligibility and allocations for the coming school year, selected schools will need to complete the Title 1 Income Eligibility Form (pink form). • The process for establishing a student’s income-eligibility is essentially the same as that for establishing eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

7. Lunch Forms • Only one application needs to be filed per household for all children attending the same school. • Where there are children in multiple schools living in the household, an application must be filed with each school. • A separate application must be filed for each foster child. • DIIT will remove all meal eligibility codes remaining from last year from ATS during the first week of September. In FY 2009 that occurred on September 8th.

8. Lunch Forms • A computerized match with HRA will have identified students with Meal Code “A” (Automatic Free-Lunch). • ATS will generate and route to each school’s printer a Direct Certification Letter to each affected household. Direct certification is the process for children from families receiving food stamps or Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) to receive free meals without completing an application. • A paper application should not be processed for any students with Meal Code “A”. • Meals served for the breakfast and lunch programs during September must be reported by eligibility categories – free, reduced-price and paid. • All new students must be claimed as paid until an application has been received and processed.

9. Lunch Forms • Last year’s eligibility determinations are valid only until this year’s certification is completed or a date in October—still TBD—whichever comes first. Last year that date was October 18. • Please note that the eligibility status will become paid (full price) for all students for whom an application has not been processed by the October date still TBD. **Reminder- The process described above does not apply to USM schools in cycles 2-4 OSFNS Website: http://opt-osfns.org/osfns/

10. LunchForms For all schools except USM schools in cycles 2-4: EACH STUDENT MUST HAVE A MEAL CODE. Entries in ATS continue through the 3rd week in December. Last year that date was December 23rd and scanning schools had to submit their forms to OSFs by December 15th. After this date, the system is closed and the final free lunch percentage determined. • Key Points • In September, an original SD 1041 form, i.e. red form—or Title I Verification Form, i.e. pink form—should be distributed to each registered student. One form is to be completed for all children from the same household who attend the same school. • A properly completed SD 1041 form, Title I Verification form, or direct certification letter must be on file for each child to whom free or reduced price meals are served. • Additional forms may be obtained by contacting Bart Pelucco of the OSFNS, Telephone # 718 707 4371.

11. Monitoring Lunch Form Datawith ATS – RRMC Title I Format ReportLast Year’s Sample The RRMC is a district level Meal Code report that shows school specific meal code data. Be sure to select the Title I Format. This report can be down loaded into EXCEL  

12. Monitoring Lunch Form Data After October 31st and until the December deadline date still to be determined: • Run bi-weekly ATS RRMC reports to monitor lunch form data. • NB: Scanning schools data is dependent on the OSFs scanning volume and may not yield an accurate picture; • Pay particular attention to: • the number of forms not returned (red arrow); • Provide schools with a update of what their data looks like. • Feel free to tailor sample lunch form notification handout to your needs • Encourage schools to focus on reducing the number of forms under Meal Code 4 or Meal Code 5 • Rinse and Repeat 