Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin |
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| Purpose: Action Required | |
| To: National School Lunch Program Sponsors, School Breakfast Program Sponsors | Number: USDA-SNP-02-2013 |
| Attention: Food Service Director, Business Official | Date: January 2013 |
| Subject: 2012 –13 Annual Sponsor Verification Report is Now Available | |
| Reference: Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 245.6a(c), Verification Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements | |
This Management Bulletin (MB) provides information on annual Verification Reporting requirements.
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) sponsors/local educational agencies (LEA) must submit their annual Verification Report to the California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division via the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) by February 15, 2013. The report requires NSLP and SBP participating districts/agencies to report the verification results of their annual free and reduced-price (F/RP) application process to the CDE. The CDE then reports consolidated verification results for all LEAs on the NSLP and/or SBP to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by April 15, 2013.
Sponsors are now able to access the Verification Report via the CNIPS. Sponsors must complete and submit their verification report to the CDE through their CNIPS account by February 15, 2013.
How to Access the Verification Report via the CNIPS
- Access the CNIPS Web site at https://www.cnips.ca.gov
- In the boxes provided, type in your User ID and Password and select Log On
- Select Applications from the blue tool bar at the top of your screen
- Select Verification Report
- Follow the CNIPS Verification Report Instructions found below and complete the report
- Select Save—you will not receive a confirmation message
If the message Saved with errors displays:
- Select Edit, make the corrections
- Select Save
- Select Finish—you will not receive a confirmation message
Verification Reporting Dates
The required dates for LEAs to determine the number of applications on file for verification and to report the number of F/RP eligibles to the CDE are different. LEAs must select their verification samples based on the number of applications on file as of October 1, while the count of F/RP eligibles will be reported as of the last operating day in October. LEAs are to report the counts of F/RP eligibles required for the Verification Report as of October 31 and report the counts of applications as of October 1.
CNIPS Verification Report Instructions
Sponsors must report the following data in their Verification Report:
- Numbers 1 and 2: Enter the name and title of the person completing the report.
- Number 3: Enter the number of schools (sites) as of October 1 that are collecting applications. This includes Provision 2 and 3 sites operating in the base year.
- Number 4: Of the number of sites reported in number 3, enter the total enrollment of these sites as of October 31. This includes Provision 2 and 3 sites operating in the base year.
- Number 5: Enter the number of sites operating under Provision 2 or 3 in a non-base year as of October 1.
- Number 6: Of the number of sites reported in number 5, enter the total enrollment in these sites as of October 31.
- Number 7: Check “yes” to indicate your agency used the household application during 2012–13.
- Number 8: For each category below, enter the number of children approved for free meals as of October 31 who are exempt from verification:
- Direct Certification Statewide Match
- Direct Certification County (Local) Match
- Homeless Liaison List
- Migrant Liaison List
- Runaway Liaison List
- Income-Eligible Head Start
- Pre-K Even Start
- Non-Applicants approved by local officials
- Provision 1 Students
- Other (enter student type)
- Number 9: As of October 31, enter the number of children automatically eligible for free meal benefits based on a case number for CalFresh, California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids, Kin-GAP, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations that was submitted on a household meal application.
- Number 10: Of the number of children reported in number 9, enter the number of applications approved as of October 1.
- Number 11: Enter the number of children approved for free meal benefits based on household size and income information submitted on a household meal application (income eligible) as of October 31.
- Number 12: Of the number of children reported in number 11, enter the number of applications approved as of October 1.
- Number 13: Enter the number of free eligible children counted as approved for free meals in the non-base year of Provision schools entered in number 5.
- Number 14: As of October 31, enter the number of children approved for reduced-price meal benefits.
- Number 15: Of the number of children reported in number 14, enter the number of reduced-price eligible household meal applications on file as of October 1.
- Number 16: Enter the number of reduced-price eligible children counted as approved for reduced price meals in the non-base year of Provision schools entered in number 5.
- Number 17: Enter the method (Basic, Alternate-Random, Alternate-Focused) of the verification sample size used.
- For Verification method assistance, see MB 06-115 at the CDE Sample Size for Annual Verification Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/mb06115.asp, and the District/Agency Worksheet to Determine Verification Sample Size at the CDE School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Forms Web page http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/fm.asp.
- If verification was not performed, select that option and explain why. The reasons can be that all schools are in Provision 2 or 3 of a non-base year; all students are eligible for free meals based on direct certification, or are certified as migrant, runaway, or homeless; or the LEA has household meal applications approved for free or reduced-price meals on file, but failed to conduct verification.
- Numbers 18–29: Enter the results of the verification process for all applications selected for verification. This includes the number of students whose eligibility for benefits did not change, the number of students whose eligibility was reduced or terminated based on a household’s response to verification, the number of students whose household did not respond to verification, and the number of applications in each of these categories.
For more information about verification of eligibility in the NSLP, refer to the CDE SNP Verification Materials Web page http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/verification.asp#reporting.
If you have any questions regarding this MB, please contact Rochelle Crosson, Data Analyst, by e-mail at rcrosson@cde.ca.gov or by phone at 916-322-3965, or Sharon Freschi, SNP Specialist, by e-mail at sfreschi@cde.ca.gov or by phone at 916-323-2485.
