Point of Service Counts

1. Point of Service Counts Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Nutrition Team

2. What is the Point of Service? • Point of Service – point where it can be determined that a reimbursable meal has been served to an eligible student • Location where meal counts are obtained • Located at the end of the meal service line unless otherwise approved by DPI • Required for National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, After School Care Snack Program, Special Milk Program, and WI School Day Milk Program

3. USDA regulations state that meal counts must be obtained daily by category (free, reduced price, or paid) at the Point of Service

4. Meals Counted at the Point of Service must… • Meet meal pattern requirements (contain all required components and amounts) • In other words… Must be reimbursable meals • Be obtained daily for each meal served • Be counted and documented at the time the child receives it • Be able to be accurately converted to meal counts in each eligibility category

5. Which meals/menu items shouldnot be included in meal counts at POS? • Second meals served to students • A la carte items • Meals served outside of school hours, such as weekend or evening events • Meals served to: • Teachers/School Administrative Staff • Parents • Food Service Employees • Students enrolled at other schools • Kindergarten students participating in Special Milk Program **These meals can be counted and recorded separately, but they CANNOT be claimed for reimbursement!

6. Acceptable Meal Counting Procedures • Check-off List/Roster • Lists of all eligible children • Staff member at end of line checks off students by name as they receive meals • Coded Tickets • Automated System • Electronic scanner

7. DO NOT USE counts taken anywhere other than the Point of Service!

8. Examples of Unacceptable Meal Count SystemsDO NOT use: • Attendance counts from classroom • Number of trays used after meal service • Counts from classrooms of those who intend to eat a meal • Amount of cash at end of meal service • Subtracting free/reduced to determine how many are paid after meal service • Number of meals delivered to the school

9. Staff Responsibilities • The staff member obtaining meal counts at the Point of Service must be able to… • Recognize a reimbursable meal • Be familiar with the school’s Offer vs. Serve procedure, if applicable • Accurately check ALL trays • Remain at the POS station during entire meal service

10. What should the staff member at the POS do if an eligible student does not take a reimbursable meal? • Ask the student to take missing items so that a reimbursable meal may be counted or • Record that student’s meal as non-reimbursable and deduct from the meal count

11. Point of Service Reminders • Never overtly identify a student at the POS! • No separate lines for students approved for free or reduced-price meals • No separate lines for cash meal sales • Do not list only F/R students on a checklist • Should not be able to distinguish between free, reduced, or paid students based on: • Appearance of ID card, token, or ticket • Coding of names on checklist • Coding on computer screen • Meal prices on computer screen

12. Point of Service Reminders • Only one meal type (lunch/breakfast/snack) per student per day can be counted for reimbursement • Meals counted at the POS must be recorded in a way that is easily read in order to ensure an accurate claim for reimbursement

13. Questions? Sara Saye, sara.saye@dpi.wi.gov, 608-267-3724 Erin Lorang, erin.lorang@dpi.wi.gov, 608-267-9217

14. Is this an acceptable POS? Lunch in Classroom: Students pick up pre-boxed lunches (reimbursable meals) in the lunchroom and take to the classroom along with lunch cards with student names on them. Teachers distribute lunches and paperclip together the lunch cards for the students who ate. Lunch cards are sent back to the cafeteria so that the FS manager can enter them into the computer.