Counting and Claiming Jennifer Otey Senior Consultant Colorado

Counting and Claiming Jennifer Otey, Senior Consultant Colorado Department of Education Office of School Nutrition Otey_j@cde. state. co. us July 2013

Overview § SFAs receive federal and state $ for each meal that: § Meets program requirements (meal patterns) § Is served to an eligible student § To receive the reimbursement for meals served to students by category, schools must accurately § Count § Record § Claim 2

Distribution § All meal count/collection systems should include a method for prepayment and/or post billing (charging)* § Makes F&R students appear as students who already paid full price § Must be publicized § Should provide multiple ways to make pre-payments § Examples § No cash on the line; payments made in advance or parents are billed § Cash is accepted on the line—and payments can be made in advance / billing *Post billing is not recommended 3

Collection - Medium of Exchange § Is issued to students for obtaining a meal § Connects the meal benefit app status to the student who is being served a meal § Must be updated (transfers, withdrawals, changes in status) on a timely basis § Must prevent overt identification § Examples § Verbal identifier/roster § Coded ID cards § Pin pad 4

Coding § Acceptable § Series (1 – 1, 999 = free; 2, 000 – 2, 999 = red; 3, 000 – 3, 999 = paid) § Ending number (…. 0, even number, odd number) § Number of digits (4 digits = F; 5 digits = R; 6 digits = P) § Coding behind the scenes § Electronic system codes students for claiming and tracking balances § F&R person uses roster to enter counts in computer for claiming and tracking balances 5

Coding (cont. ) § Not Acceptable § The use of a single identifier when used with listed prices § F, R, P § Color coding § Not Recommended § Single identifiers unless rotated periodically 6

Overt Identification § Definition: Any action that may result in a child being recognized as potentially eligible to receive free or reduced meals § Any meal cards, tickets, tokens, etc. , cannot be coded or colored in a manner that would overtly identify F&R students § SFAs must take steps to assure that rosters, computer-screens, or other equipment used at the POS cannot be viewed by anyone not needing the information, especially students § Info on the rosters or screens should be masked or coded to avoid other students discerning any student’s eligibility status 7

Overt Identification (cont. ) § Prohibited: separate dining areas, service times, serving lines, or limiting the choices of reimbursable meals based on eligibility § All menu items must be available to all students, regardless of their eligibility § If certain items are not available to all, they may not be counted toward a reimbursable meal § Meals served on an all-cash line may never be claimed for reimbursement § Competitive foods during the meal service: SFAs are encouraged to ensure the sale of competitive foods does not inadvertently result in eligible children being identified 8

Point of Service § “That point in the food service operation when a determination can accurately be made that a reimbursable F, R, P meal has been served to an eligible child” § Not allowable § Counts taken in the classroom of who is going to eat or who is in attendance § Backing out (one meal category’s #s calculated based on other categories) § Tray counts or delivery counts § Marking off students as they enter the line § Visual identification without back-up 9

Point of Service (cont. ) § 2 -person POS § If any items for the reimbursable meal are after the POS § Includes vegetable subgroups on a salad bar § Must be a method to notify cashier if a meal, by type, is not reimbursable § Must be approved by CDE 10

What is a Reimbursable Meal? Reimbursable meals are those that contain all the required food components in the minimum required amounts. 11

Unallowable Meals § Off-site Meal Consumption § Meals taken off-site are not reimbursable § E. g. , meals given to children to eat on the bus, take home, etc. § Field trip meals are okay since they are part of a school-day related function § Watch for sanitation, proper counting, no overt identification § Meals not eligible for reimbursement § Second meals § Meals served to adults § A la carte items 12

Claiming

Overview § School meal counts, by category, are submitted to the SFA level on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis § Counts are then consolidated into a monthly claim § Submitted by the SFA to the OSN in the claim system § Claims are due 60 days after the end of the claim month § Upward adjustments due 90 days after the end of the claim month § Downward adjustments – no time limit but as soon as possible § Edit checks at SFA and CDE § Claims are paid every other week § 7 -10 business days after that, to receive check 14

Edit Checks § Requirement for lunch; recommended for breakfast § Review count data to ensure claims include only the number of F, R, & P lunches served on any day of operation to eligible children § Schools can never claim more F, R, P meals than are served to eligible children x the number of days § Attendance factor: 96% § Needed § Daily number of meals served, by category § Number of children approved for free and reduced 15

Edit Checks § Steps § Compare number of eligible children to number of meals claimed § Consider attendance factor § Beware of patterns & 100% participation § Note factors affecting claims § Example § See sample edit check sheet 16

Reimbursement Rates § Federal § Meal type (lunch, breakfast, snack, milk) § Eligibility category (F, R, P) § Severe need indicator § 6 cents § State § Start Smart (reduced breakfast) 17 § All grades § $. 30 § Lunch Protection Act (Reduced lunch) § Grades PK, K, 1, & 2 § $. 40

Claim System https: //cde. cnpus. com/codoe/Splash. aspx § Needed § Password (signs your name to the data) § Claim data § Number of F, R, enrolled students § # of days § # of meals by category (including PK 2) § ACSP: Eligible students, days, snacks served § SMP: # of milks purchased, total cost of milk, days, # of milks served § Be aware of different pricing options § FFVP: Operating & administrative cost info § Walk through 18

Miscellaneous

Monitoring § Each SFA with more than 1 school must perform an on-site review of the counting & claiming system § By 1 February of each year § Follow-up if problems are noted § Corrective actions § Another visit within 45 days § Questions § POS: Proper counting & identifying § Back-ups § Edit checks § Non-reimbursable meals § Overt identification 20

Record Keeping Counting and claiming records must be kept on file for five years after the current year – or until audited. 21

Administrative Review Focal Points The SFA must have a meal counting and claiming system that accurately counts, records, consolidates and reports the number of reimbursable meals claimed, by category (i. e. , free, reduced, or paid). § Edit checks § Back-up system for counting/claiming meals § 2 -person POS § Training and cross training § Policies for student workers, field trips, & pre-paid meals § SOPs for counting/claiming § Non-reimbursable meals § Consolidation process § Overt identification 22

Review 1. Why is it important to have a pre-payment system? 2. What are some examples of collection media that can be used? 3. Which coding method would be a best practice? § #, $, * § Blue = F, red = R, yellow = P § 237 = F, 218 = R, 129 = P 4. Y/N: The POS computer screen faces the cafeteria, and there is an A, B, C indicator with the price, but it is very small, in the corner. Is this allowable? 5. T/F: Meals served on an all-cash line may never be claimed for reimbursement. 23

Review 6. Which is allowable? § The cashier sits far from the service line and occasionally works § § on other things, but she knows her count is right since she can easily count the kids who have lunch trays. The cashier is by herself (also serving), so she tries to remember the exact counts, and she writes them down in batches later. The school asks the SA for a 2 -person POS approval since there are vegetable subgroups on the salad bar after the POS. 7. T/F: Second meals may be claimed for reimbursement. 8. When are monthly claims due to the SA? 24

Review 9. In your own words, describe an edit check. 10. What 4 pieces of data are needed to enter a lunch claim? 11. T/F: A claim system password may be shared with the superintendent if you are out sick, and the claim is due. 12. Damson Plumb District has an elementary, middle, and high school, and the kids all eat in the same cafeteria. When must the on-site review of counting/claiming be completed? 13. How long must counting/claiming records be kept? 14. What are three focal areas of the Administrative Review for counting/claiming? 25

Thank you. Happy Counting & Claiming! 26