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CEP Background:

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CEP Background:

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  1. Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): What do I need to know?Sunday, March 2, 9:45 am – 10:45Speakers: Robert Leshin Assistant Director, Office for Nutrition, Health and SafetyMassachusetts Dept. of Elementary and Secondary EducationJosephine MackDirector of School NutritionRichmond County School System, GALisa McCartyAssistant Superintendent of Support ServicesOwensboro Public Schools, KY

  2. CEP Background: • Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a four-year reimbursement option for eligible high poverty LEAs and schools • Advantages: All students receive free meals, eliminates over identification issues, simplifies meal claiming and reduces paperwork. • Formerly known as Community Eligibility Option (CEO) • Currently participating: DC, IL, KY, MI, NY, OH, WV, FL, GA, MD, MA • Available nationwide on July 1, 2014

  3. Eligibility Requirements: • LEAs must have at least 1 school with 40% or more “Identified Students” (certified without application) • Eligible LEAs/schools must offer breakfast AND lunch at no charge to all students • Do not collect free and reduced price applications from households in participating schools during the period of participation in CEP. • CEP can be implemented in 1 school, group of schools or district-wide.

  4. Identified Students: Students certified for free meals w/o the use of a household application • e.g. directly certified with SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, categorically eligible – migrant youth, homeless, head start etc.

  5. CEP Reimbursements • % Identified Students x 1.6 = % meals reimbursed at “free” rate. All other meals reimbursed at “paid” rate • eg: At a school with 50% Identified Students, 80% of brkfst/lunches served would be reimbursed at free rate, 20% reimbursed at paid rate (50 x 1.6 = 80) • CEP schools/LEAs are guaranteed the same reimbursement rate for 4 years (or a higher rate if the Identified Student rate increases) • Total monthly meal counts needed for claim

  6. USDA CEP Calculator:

  7. Massachusetts Implementation SY 2013-2014 • Published guidance on website • Boston Public Schools only LEA participating in SY 2013-2014 • Increase in federal reimbursement • Additional CEP information sessions for LEAs with eligible schools • Presentation at state school business officials association

  8. Massachusetts Challenges • Implications of not collecting household income applications: Other Federal and State funding programs (Title 1, IDEA, E-Rate etc.) • Working with other offices to properly interpret USED issued guidance • Goal is to utilize existing sources of information to provide comparable low income statistics to eliminate collection of household income data

  9. Massachusetts Challenges • Updating NSLP application and claim reimbursement system to support CEP claiming • New staff member dedicated to CEP • Data: Validating ISP

  10. Josephine Mack Director of School Nutrition Richmond County School System, GA

  11. Richmond County Implementation SY 2013-2014

  12. Richmond County School System Challenges • Board members were reluctant to approve CEP because the concerned of school system losing funds and /or not qualify for other Federal and State programs (Title 1, E-Rate, etc.) • Completing all the calculations to determine how Title 1 would be impacted • Collaborating with other agencies to certify identified students (homeless, foster children)

  13. Richmond County School System Challenges • Determining how many more students will participate in Breakfast and Lunch Programs in order to have enough food purchased • Determining how to calculate our Free and Paid percentages for reimbursement

  14. Benefits of Community Eligibility Provision • No Paper Applications • Eliminate Student Charges • Eliminate Serving Alternative Meals • Eliminate Returned Checks • Increase Breakfast and Lunch Participation • It is what’s best for children…. in order for them to go to class and be ready to learn

  15. Lisa McCartyAssistant Superintendent of Support ServicesOwensboro Public Schools, KY

  16. OWENSBORO PUBLIC SCHOOLSOWENSBORO, KENTUCKY2011-2012

  17. IMPLEMENTING CEP INVOLVE KEY PLAYERS IN DISCUSSION *SUPERINTENDENT *PRINCIPALS *SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

  18. Questions to Consider??? • What will the community think about students not having to pay for their meals? • Will it be positive or negative publicity for the district? • Will there be an increase in student enrollment? • Will the SFS lose money? • Will our cost increase?

  19. “STRATEGY” • Avoid using the statement “Free Lunchor Free Meals” • It is not free, SFS pays for the food, labor, and other expenses • Promote it as “ A no cost meal to students”

  20. RESULTS • Parents love it! • Second year for Preschool-Elementary • First year for Middle School • Increase in participation • Increase in revenue-$200,000 (2012-2013) • Increase in food cost-$40,000

  21. CEP RESOURCES • SNA’s CEP Webinar Series: www.schoolnutrition.org/webinar • Making the Most of Community Eligibility Provision (under archives) • Eliminating School Meal Applications (March 26) • Determining which Schools will be Eligible to Participate in CEP (April 2) • SNA’s ANC Boston: www.schoolnutrition.org/ANC • CEP pre-con and ed sessions • Links to key USDA and State Materials: www.frac.org/community-eligibility

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