Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Provision 2 or 3: Eligibility for Title I


Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin

To: Sponsors of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, County Superintendents of Schools, Diocesan Superintendents of Schools

Number: 98-118

Attention: Food Service Directors

Date: December 1998

From: School Nutrition Programs

Subject: Numbers of Free/Reduced Price Eligible Children for Title I in Provision 2 and Provision 3 Schools


This management bulletin transmits All Points Bulletin (APB) SP-99-06 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The APB addresses the issue of a school’s eligibility for Title I funding when it participates in the National School Lunch Program’s Provision 2 or Provision 3 reimbursement claiming alternatives.

Title I is an enrichment program that allocates funds to local education agencies based on the level of poverty in a school’s attendance area. One of the criteria for measuring poverty is the percentage of students approved for free or reduced price meals. Schools using Provision 2 or Provision 3 do not collect free and reduced price meal eligibility information on an annual basis. In consultation with the U.S. Department of Education, FNS has determined that schools using Provision 2 or Provision 3 may use their base year percentages of free, reduced price, and paid students for purposes of applying for Title I funding throughout subsequent years of the Provision 2 or Provision 3 cycle.

Attachment available in hard copy only.

Questions:   School Nutrition Programs Unit | SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, April 07, 2026
Related Content
  • Community Eligibility Provision
    The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) provides School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors an alternative method for claiming student meals in high poverty schools.
  • Final Rule on Provision 1, 2, and 3 Guidance
    Management Bulletin 02-131: Final rule on alternatives to standard application and meal counting procedures (provisions 1, 2, and 3) and provision 2 guidance.
  • Provision 2
    Provision 2 (P2) provides School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors alternative ways to claim student meals.
  • School Nutrition Programs Management Bulletins
    School Nutrition Programs (SNP) management bulletins for sponsors of the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, and State Meal Program.
Recently Posted in Nutrition
  • Webinar: Tuesday at 2 School Nutrition Town Hall (added 05-Jun-2026)
    School Nutrition Town Hall webinar for School Nutrition Program Operators and Food Service Directors.
  • 2026 SUN Bucks UBA Reporting (added 05-Jun-2026)
    Information on upcoming 2026 SUN Bucks Universal Benefits Application Reporting.
  • Public Comment–Expanding Fluid Milk Options (added 01-Jun-2026)
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture invites public comment on the final rule codifying expanded fluid milk options Child Nutrition Program providers, following enactment of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.
  • Annual FDP Contract Packet Update Due July 31 (added 29-May-2026)
    The California Department of Education (CDE) reminds all participating agencies to submit their 2026–27 Food Distribution Program (FDP) contract in CNIPS by July 31, 2026.
  • Free Virtual Training Opportunities (added 29-May-2026)
    CalFresh Healthy Living Statewide Training is offering partners five new free training opportunities. Trainings include a combination of self-paced work and live online meetings, which include trauma-informed approaches, when possible.