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2007-08 Attendance Factor

This Management Bulletin provides the 2007-08 average daily “Attendance Factor” (93.5 percent) for National School Lunch Program sponsors. Each year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) calculates the attendance factor using the latest available data from the United States Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. We apologize for the delay in providing you this information.

Background

Prior to filing a monthly claim for reimbursement, the USDA requires National School Lunch Program (NSLP) sponsors to perform daily meal count “edit checks” by multiplying an annual attendance factor [percentage] by the number of children enrolled in school.

Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), Part 210.2 defines the attendance factor as “…a percentage developed no less than once each school year which accounts for the difference between enrollment and attendance…” (i.e., the average percentage of enrolled students typically attending school on any given day).

In addition, 7 CFR 210.8(a)(3) requires NSLP sponsors to perform daily meal count edit checks by multiplying the number of enrolled children approved in each meal eligibility category (free, reduced-price, and paid) by the annual attendance factor. The results, referred to as “attendance-adjusted eligible” figures, are to be documented by comparing the daily counts of free, reduced-price, and paid lunches served.  Recorded daily meal counts should not exceed the attendance-adjusted eligible figures in any meal eligibility category on any school day without a simple written justification to explain the overage (e.g., pizza day; special promotion; non-pricing event, etc.). Your Point-of-Service software will most likely calculate the attendance-adjusted eligible figures for your edit check, and identify any daily meal counts by category that exceed the attendance-adjusted eligible figures.

In addition, school meal counts reported on a monthly reimbursement claim must not exceed the number of children approved in any meal eligibility category when multiplied by the number of operating days within the month.

2007-08 Attendance Factor

For school year (SY) 2007-08, the USDA has calculated an attendance factor of 93.5 percent. Therefore, effective with 2007-08 school year, NSLP sponsors must use the 93.5 percent attendance factor for each of their site’s daily meal count edits prior to the submission of their monthly reimbursement claims. As allowed in prior years, sponsors may also develop their own attendance factors using data that applies district or agency-wide, or to individual sites. The California Department of Education will apply the 93.5 percent attendance factor (or the sponsor’s actual site or agency-wide attendance factor) to meal counts during Coordinated Review Efforts (CREs) conducted for SY 2007-08.

In order to develop your actual attendance factor, you will need to determine your student population rate of attendance each month or each year by site or agency-wide. To do this, you will need to calculate the percentage of average attendance by dividing the average number of students who attended school each month or each year by the average number of students enrolled in school each month or each year (but do not include excused absences in the average attendance figure). This process will give you an actual attendance factor by month or by year. Keep records to demonstrate how you calculated your average attendance factor.

All schools on Provision 2 or 3 must also complete daily meal count edit checks by multiplying the annual total attendance factor by the total number of children enrolled in school. During non-base years and streamlined base years, schools must compare each Provision 2 or 3 school’s total daily meal counts to the school’s total enrollment, adjusted by the attendance factor or have a system in place for oversight.

Attached are three sample Daily Meal Count Edit Work Sheets that may be used for traditional or year-round school sites. The first sample (Attachment 1) assists school sites in computing daily meal count edit checks; the second sample (Attachment 2) assists school sites with multiple tracks in computing daily meal count edit checks; and the third sample (Attachment 3) assists school sites in computing their monthly free, reduced-price, and paid category numbers for comparison against their actual daily meal counts. Sponsors may use any or all of these work sheets, or develop their own.

While the use of any of the attached sample worksheets is optional, documentation of your edit checks is required. All edit check forms must incorporate the data requested on the attached sample work sheets.

Residential Child Care Institutions

Please note that Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) must also complete daily meal count edit checks. Daily meal counts cannot exceed the number of residents enrolled each day. The attendance factor for RCCIs is 100 percent. RCCIs with day students must use the current national attendance factor of 93.5 percent (or their own actual site or agency-wide attendance factor).

If you have any questions regarding edit checks or this year’s attendance factor, please contact your Field Services Unit Child Nutrition Consultant at 916-445-0850 or 800-952-5609. You may also contact Eva Lopez-Contreras, School Nutrition Program Specialist, School Nutrition Programs Unit, at 916-445-7359 or 800-952-5609, or via e-mail at econtrer@cde.ca.gov.

Attachments

1. Meal Count Work Sheet (DOC)
   Used to compare the daily free, reduced-price, and paid actual meal counts.
2. Meal Count Work Sheet for Schools with Tracks (DOC)
   Used to compare the daily free, reduced-price, and paid actual meal counts for schools with tracks.
3. Meal Count Edit Check - Monthly Work Sheet (DOC)
   Used for computing monthly free, reduced-price, and paid category numbers for comparison against actual daily meal counts.