Food and Nutrition Programs

Deadlines for the NSLP 2010-2011 School Year

• NSLP 2010-2011 online renewal applications must be completed by September 24, 2010.
• The Free and Reduced Price Meals Application has several new modifications this year. Please review the entire document to alert determining and confirming staff, and student households regarding the noted changes.
• Please note: on the original version of the Instructions for School Districts letter, two required documents (Notice to Households of Approval/Denial of Benefits and the Notice of Direct Certification) were inadvertently listed as optional. Both documents are required to be used.
• Food Safety Inspection Compliance Reports for the 2009-2010 school year must be submitted online to ESE by October 29, 2010, report is located in the Security Portal under Compliance.
• Verification must be completed by November 15, 2010, with the online summary report submitted to ESE by January 7, 2011. Verification Summary Report is located in the Security Portal under Compliance.
• Accuclaim (for districts/agencies with two or more schools/sites) must be completed by February 1, 2011, with the online summary report submitted to ESE by February 11, 2011. Corrective Action Plans written for Accuclaim site monitoring must have a follow-up review within forty-five (45) days of issuance. Accuclaim report is located in the Security Portal under Compliance.
• Claims for Reimbursement must be submitted online as soon as possible at the end of the month (10 days) but no later than sixty (60) days following the last day of the full month. Federal regulations allow for a one-time exception for filing the claim after the 60-day deadline. Once utilized, the LEA/SFA may not do so again for three (3) years. Contact Rob Leshin for further instructions.
• Commodity orders will be posted online by the fourth Friday of the preceding month. Orders must be submitted by the end of the 3rd Friday of the month, to which they pertain. Late orders will not be processed.
• Corrective Action Plans (CAP) resulting from a Coordinated Review Effort (CRE) must be submitted within three (3) weeks of receiving the CAP. Non-response may result in fiscal disallowance.
• S-5 Meal Benefit Certification and Issuance Error Letters must be completed and returned within three (3) weeks of receipt. Non-response will result in immediate fiscal disallowances being taken from the date error was initiated through the end of the school year, for each student listed on the S-5 form. This letter may be issued to districts after a program review. Not all districts will receive an S-5 letter.
• Supplemental Financial Data form must be completed monthly. This form is located in the Security Portal under the claims tab.
• All Program records must be retained for three (3) years after the submission of the final claim for reimbursement for the fiscal year, plus the current fiscal year's records. If there is an open audit for any fiscal year, all records must be retained until closure notification of the audit.

Income Eligibility Deadline Reminders (Free and Reduced Price Meals Applications)

• New applications must be sent home at the beginning of the school year. The most current version of the application must be issued.
• LEAs must carry over all students' approved eligibility from the last operating day of the previous school year. This approval may be used until a new completed application is received, or for up to thirty (30) operating days from the first day of school.
• All public schools must access the Direct Certification List prior to the start of school via the Security Portal. Direct certification eligibility supersedes any application a household may submit for children on the list.
• All public schools must contact their District's Homeless liaison to receive a list of all homeless and runaway students within the District. This process must continue throughout the school year to provide free meal benefits to newly identified students.
• Extending categorical eligibility continues this year. Any student eligible for free meals via direct certification or by applications with case numbers for SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, must have their eligibility extended to all children in what would be considered a household/family.
• Only case numbers may be used to determine eligibility. EBT card numbers may not be used. According to instructions from the Department of Transitional Assistance, case numbers continue to be the social security number of the household member that applied for SNAP benefits.
• Income Eligibility applications must be approved within ten (10) days of receiving the application.
• The Verification process must begin on or after October 1, 2010. Sample size of applications for verification must be based on the number of approved income eligible applications on file as of October 1, 2010.
• When reducing or terminating household benefits, the household must be provided a ten (10)-calendar day advance notification prior to the actual reduction or termination. Change is effective on the eleventh day.
• When increasing household benefits, the household must be immediately notified, and the change made within three (3) operating days.
• Temporary approvals of applications are valid for forty-five (45) days. LEA Follow-up is required at the end of the 45-day period. See Eligibility Manual for School Meals for further guidance.
• Download the Eligibility Manual for School Meals for complete instructions. The manual is located at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/guidance/eligibility_guidance.pdf.