Food and Nutrition Programs

Additional Data Available for Area Eligibility, Summer 2022 and SY 2022-23

On Friday, May 13th the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released guidance on area eligibility for Summer 2022 and School Year 2022-2023. Due to the flexibilities to operate universal free school meals this school year, schools do not have complete free and reduced-price eligibility information to make area eligibility determinations which is required to determine site eligibility for Summer 2022 for both the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

As a result, in addition to using census mapping, USDA is allowing the usage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Massachusetts Schools with 50% of Student Enrollment Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals in Child Nutrition Programs (Option 1) as well as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) data (Option 2) to determine site eligibility for Summer 2022.

Option 1: Use of School Year 2019-2020 Free and Reduced-Price Application Data
In the absence of complete School Year 2021-2022 free and reduced-price application data, USDA is allowing usage of the Fiscal Year 2020 Massachusetts Schools with 50% of Student Enrollment Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals in Child Nutrition Programs based on October 2019 claim data. Area eligibility determinations made for Summer 2022 using this data are effective through Summer 2024 (3 years).

Option 2: Allow All Schools to Use CEP Data
In the absence of complete School Year 2021-2022 free and reduced-price application data, USDA is allowing usage of existing CEP data to determine area eligibility for Summer 2022. If a school has an Identified Student Percentage (ISP) as of April 1, 2022, that is 31.25% or higher, that school qualifies as area eligible (31.25% multiplied by the CEP 1.6 multiplier equals 50%).

For already approved CEP schools, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approved and verified ISP data must be used. For non-approved CEP schools, the ISP data submitted to DESE through the Security Portal's FY22 "April Report" will be used.

Below you will find a spreadsheet that contains all school sites determined to be area eligible through options 1 and 2 and therefore area eligible to operate either SFSP or SSO this summer. The length of eligibility is listed in the spreadsheet. Please note that the schools from Option 1 are the same as those on the previously released 2020 50% list and sponsors may use either list when qualifying sites.

• Fiscal Year 2022 Massachusetts Schools Area Eligible for Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option

For questions or technical assistance please contact Shannon Raymond .

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