Understanding The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for Schools
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students without individual applications. This system aims to increase access to free meals while reducing administrative burdens. Learn about the history, requirements, electing criteria, and participation guidelines of CEP for schools.
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The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) SPRING CONFERENCE SY 21-22 FELIX GRIEGO DEPUTY DIRECTOR STUDENT SUCCESS AND WELLNESS BUREAU
Overview History Requirements Calculating LEA data Procedures SFA Compliance, Expectations, and Responsibility USDA New Guidance/Memo Questions & Discussion
History Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 1. Provides an alternative to household applications for free and reduced price meals 2. Offers all students free meals in high poverty LEAs and schools 3. CEP schools do not take applications, but use existing data to provide free meals to all students NM SFA s operated CEP in SY 14-15 and in their 7 year of operating the provision Intended to improve access to free meals in high poverty areas while reducing administrative burdens
Who is electing CEP SFAs may elect CEP for all sites, individual schools, or a group of schools. To be eligible, the LEA, individual school, or group of schools must have an identified student percentage of at least 40%. Proposed Rule to lower the threshold to 25% for qualified schools (pros and cons to this) Identified students are those certified for free meals either through direct certification (SNAP, or notification/letters from FDPIR, TANF, Migrant, Headstart, etc)
Requirements for Participation Have a minimum percentage ( 40%) of identified students in the school year prior to implementing CEP Serve free lunches AND breakfasts to all students for 4 years Count total breakfasts and total lunches served to students daily CEP schools will not collect household applications for free and reduced price meals and will not conduct verification
Election and Eligibility Criteria Eligible school or group of schools must have an identified student percentage of at least 40% (reflective of April 1st waiver in place) of the school year prior to implementing CEP or be grouped in a CEP Grouping over 40%. LEAs can submit applications by June 30 in order to operate CEP the following school year Participation is an LEA level decision but requires concurrence from the State agency.
State Approval Process An LEA must obtain State agency concurrence to administer CEP. The State agency must review documentation submitted by the LEA to ensure the LEA/school: Meets the minimum identified student percentage (40%) Participates in both the NSLP and SBP Has a record of administering the meal program in accordance with program regulations ( in good standing ) A letter from Director, Michael Chavez will be sent to LEA giving final approval.
Who Are Identified Students? Children certified for free meals without submitting a school meal application Includes children who are directly certified (through data matching or letter- method) for free meals because they live in households that participate in the o Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) o Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Cash Assistance (TANF) o Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) o Applications with case-numbers are categorically eligible for free-meals, but they are not included in the identified student percentage
Who Are Identified Students? Includes children who are certified for free meals without application because they are: Foster care- Need State Agency documentation to count. Head Start Homeless- Classified homeless by State Agency PED Homeless Education Site Coordinator Dana Malone phone: (505) 827-1810 email: dana.malone@state.nm.us
Calculating LEA Data Demo Example to be conducted
Calculating Identified Student Percentage Calculating Identified Student Percentage # of Identified Students Total # of enrolled students with access to NSLP/SBP Identified Student % = X 100 The identified student percentage may be determined by: an individual participating school a group of participating schools in the LEA entire LEA if all schools participate
Who is the enrollment count? Enrolled Students: students who are enrolled in and attending schools participating in the community eligibility provision and who have access to at least one meal service daily Students who do not have access to either breakfast or lunch due to the times they are attending school would not be included in the count of enrolled students.
How to Group School in CEP LEA groups 3 schools within the district: Identified students Enrollment ISP School 1 60 120 50% School 2 School 3 38 150 100 200 38% 75% Group of schools 248 420 59% Total identified students for group (248) Total enrollment for group (420)
Claiming Percentages Identified student percentage multiplied by a factor of 1.6 equals the % of total meals served and reimbursed at the Federal free rate The remaining % of total meals is reimbursed at the Federal paid rate Any meal costs in excess of the total Federal reimbursement must be covered through non-Federal sources
Meal Reimbursements with CEP The reimbursement rate for both lunch and breakfast is determined by multiplying the percent of Identified Students by a 1.6 multiplier. The resulting number is the percent of meals reimbursed at the free reimbursement rate, with the rest reimbursed at the paid rate. Percentage Identified Students Percentage Free Paid 40% 64% 36% 45% 72% 28% 50% 80% 20% 55% 88% 12% 60% 96% 4% 65% 100% 0
Electing CEP/Timeline (Dates to change this year) State Agency Notify SFA of their district/school level CEP percentages by April 15th Post CEP eligible district/school site percentages on the PED SSWB website May 1st(waiver in place). Notification April- May SFA will pull DC data from the PED direct certification System and extend student eligibility (if applicable) Verify and certify student Identified matches. Use CEP tools and SSWB staff to decide CEP sites/groupings/Districtwide Enter final DC data on CEP Excel Template SFA Certification April-June Send the CEP Guidelines Document to the State Agency (SA) for approval. SA will validate verify the data and approve the CEP Guidelines Documents. State Agency will send the SFA the final letter to the SFA notifying of their approval for CEP and their approved CEP percentages. Approval Process Deadline June 30
Procedures Per requirements LEAs/schools should notify the State no later than June 30thofthe school year prior to the first year of electing CEP. A new identified student percentage may be established each year of the four year cycle for use in the following year LEAs/schools may elect to stop CEP for the next year by notifying the State no later than June 30th of the current school year NOTE: All Deadlines are per regular USDA guidance and there are no waivers in Place
Procedures During the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, the LEA/school may select the higher of: Identified student percentage from the year directly prior; or The year prior to the first year of receiving benefits LEAs/schools in year 4 with an identified student percentage <40% but 30% are permitted to elect for an additional year (a grace year) LEAs/schools that do not meet the threshold must return to normal counting and claiming procedures the following SY
SFA Compliance, Expectations, and Responsibility The SFA must keep all corresponding documentation used to be approved for CEP which include: 1. List of students certified (DC Data) and reflect the CEP school/schools elected for CEP. 2. CEP Guidelines Document submitted to the PED. 3. The PED CEP approval Letter. 4. Proper meal counting and claiming Procedures 5. Edit checks and meal counts for breakfast and lunch. IMPORTANT- Failure to comply with the above make the SFA subject to Findings and Fiscal Action.
Positive Feedback for CEP SFA s are beginning to have excess cash. Resource MGMT of AR. 2. Submit a Spending plan to the PED. 3. Purchase items related to the NSLP. 4. Be innovative (PED approval sometimes needed) 1. Help with the SFA s that have high unpaid meal balances. (Increase Grouping)
Positive Feedback for CEP Continued o All school districts that implemented the option were surveyed by FRAC and they would recommend community eligibility to high poverty schools like their own. o School districts report positive feedback from parents and school staff o Increased ability to feed more students for free o Some districts report an increase in revenue o No Student DEBT all eat for FREEEEE! http://www.coachingacademyblog.com/wp-content/the-power-of-positive-feedback-by-julie-hickton.jpg
Title I and Poverty Data NSLP data is sometimes used by schools for State funding purposes or Title I, E-Rate, K-5 plus, and other programs An LEA s CEP data may be used (in combination with general NSLP data) for the purpose of Title I Please see FNS memo Guidance and Updated Q&A SP 54-2016 for clarification on CEP.
Financial Viability NOTE:( Contact Data Coordinator, Marvin Trujillo to request the current Calculator and/or Technical Assistance )
New Mexico Approval and Election of Community Eligibility Provision for SFA s Participation for SY 20-21: 123 total SFA s chose CEP option 573 total schools participating Participation for SY 19-20: 123 total SFA s chose CEP option 566 total schools participating Participation for SY 22-23: 150 total SFA s chose CEP option 667 total schools participating 657 SY 22-23 SY 22-23 SY 17-18 SY 17-18 SY 18-19 SY 18-19 SY 19-20 SY 19-20 SY 20-21 SY 20-21 700 573 566 600 548 535 500 Serving approx. 230,000 Students Free meals in SY 22-23 400 300 157 200 125 123 122 119 100 0 SFA Paticipation School Participation
Resources USDA CEP Website http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/community-eligibility- provision FRAC School Board Presentation: http://frac.org/federal- foodnutrition-programs/national-school-lunch-program/community- eligibility/ PED Resources (Under Community Eligibility Provision) https://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/student-success- wellness/nutrition/community-eligibility-program/
USDA CEP Waiver Update SY 22-23 for CEP SY 23-24 CEP Requirement Data to Calculate ISP LEA Notification Original Deadline April 1st April 15th State Agency Notification State Agency Publication Elect CEP for SY 21-22 April 15th May 1 June 30th
Questions & Answers SA General Comments on CEP
Contact Information Send CEP Guidelines Document to Marvin and CC Felix Felix Griego Deputy Director Phone- (505) 827-1470 Email- felix.griego@state.nm.us Kate Ullrich Data Coordinator Phone- TBD Email- Kate.Ullrich2@state.nm.us Have a great day!
