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To be entitled to reimbursement, a claim preparer for each sponsor must submit a monthly claim for reimbursement that provides data in sufficient detail to justify the reimbursement claimed. Reimbursement data must include, at a minimum: the number of free meals, reduced-price meals, and paid meals served. An authorized agent or district official of the sponsor must certify and submit the claim in Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit claim for reimbursement in CNIPS by this deadline.
In light of the new California Universal Meals Program, the CDE recognizes that LEAs may continue to find it challenging to collect meal applications or Alternative Income forms, since families know that all students receive free meals without submitting any applications or forms. As part of an overall strategy, to get families to submit these applications/forms, LEAs should develop a communications plan led by district leadership that informs parents and students of the critical importance of turning in meal applications and alternative Income forms.
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: All schools
Actions to be taken: Develop and implement a plan to gather forms from families to document student eligibility for free or reduced-price meals for LCFF funding purposes.
To be entitled to reimbursement, a claim preparer for each sponsor must submit a monthly claim for reimbursement that provides data in sufficient detail to justify the reimbursement claimed. Reimbursement data must include, at a minimum: the number of free meals, reduced-price meals, and paid meals served. An authorized agent or district official of the sponsor must certify and submit the claim in Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit claim for reimbursement in CNIPS by this deadline.
Federal regulations state that SFAs must limit their Net Cash Resource (NCR) to an amount that does not exceed three months of average operating expenditures for its nonprofit food service account (cafeteria fund), or other amount established by the California Department of Education (CDE). NCR are defined as all monies that are available, or have accrued, to an SFA’s cafeteria fund, less cash payable. Monies may include, but are not limited to cash on hand, cash receivable, earnings on investments, cash on deposit, and the value of stocks, bonds, or other negotiable securities. In an effort to provide flexibility to SFAs affected by various natural disasters and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning July 1, 2022, the CDE increased the NCR limitation to six months average operating expenditures, until further notice. This means that SFAs that had six months or more excess NCR at fiscal year end, were required to enter into a budget agreement with CDE by December 31 of the following fiscal year.
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit NCR and Budget Agreement by this date.
The verification report is an annual, mandatory process by which school food authorities (SFA) report the results of their eligibility verification process. All agencies that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) are required to complete the verification report, including those that are exempt from the eligibility verification process. 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 California Department of Education (CDE). LEAs operating Universal Meals must still complete the verification report in the CNIPS no later than January 15th of each year. The verification process must begin October 1 and be completed by November 15 each year. The verification report is due to the CDE by January 15. The CDE will send notification to all SFAs when the report is available in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit verification between October 1 and November 15. Submit a final report to CDE by January 15.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a four-year alternative meal counting and collection procedure. Participation in the CEP reduces paperwork and other administrative burdens at the local level by simplifying the traditional operating procedures for meal eligibility and meal counting while eliminating the meal application process. CEP participation is required for some schools and is dependent on the % of students eligible for free meals. CEP schools have a minimum identified student percentage (ISP) of 40 percent, based on enrollment. Identified students are those who are directly certified for meals at no cost on the basis of their participation in CalFresh, CalWORKs, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and Medi-Cal free, and the extension of these benefits go to students within the same household on April 1. Also included are students certified as homeless, migrant, foster, runaway, or participating in the Head Start program. The ISP is determined by dividing the number of identified students, as of April 1 of the school year (SY) prior to starting the CEP, by the number of enrolled students as of the same date, and multiplying the quotient by 100.
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools eligible and/or required to participate in CEP
Actions to be taken: Determine the CEP by this date.
To be entitled to reimbursement, a claim preparer for each sponsor must submit a monthly claim for reimbursement that provides data in sufficient detail to justify the reimbursement claimed. Reimbursement data must include, at a minimum: the number of free meals, reduced-price meals, and paid meals served. An authorized agent or district official of the sponsor must certify and submit the claim in Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit claim for reimbursement in CNIPS by this deadline.
To be entitled to reimbursement, a claim preparer for each sponsor must submit a monthly claim for reimbursement that provides data in sufficient detail to justify the reimbursement claimed. Reimbursement data must include, at a minimum: the number of free meals, reduced-price meals, and paid meals served. An authorized agent or district official of the sponsor must certify and submit the claim in Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit claim for reimbursement in CNIPS by this deadline.
Effective October 1, 2019, the CDE will require that all new SFSP applicants and returning sponsors submit complete and correct SFSP application packets through the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) no later than 30 calendar days prior to the first SFSP meal service day, or May 15, whichever comes first. These deadlines do not apply to sponsors applying to serve in areas impacted by an unanticipated school closure during the period from October through April (or at any time of the year in an area with a continuous school calendar).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit completed packet via CNIPS.
To be entitled to reimbursement, a claim preparer for each sponsor must submit a monthly claim for reimbursement that provides data in sufficient detail to justify the reimbursement claimed. Reimbursement data must include, at a minimum: the number of free meals, reduced-price meals, and paid meals served. An authorized agent or district official of the sponsor must certify and submit the claim in Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).
Topic: School Nutrition Programs
Resources & Links:
Applies to: Schools participating in federal meal programs
Actions to be taken: Submit claim for reimbursement in CNIPS by this deadline.
1 Available to CSDC Member Schools, Authorizers, and Vendor Members (Tier II) with information access.