ADE Director's Communication Memo Form


Memo Number : FIN-07-045

Date Created : 02/20/2007

Attention:

Superintendents
Co-op Directors
other: Child Nutrition Directors
Bookkeepers

Type of Memo: Regulatory
Response Required: Yes
   
Section:   Fiscal and Administrative Services - William J. Goff, Assistant Commissioner
Subject:
Severe Need Funding for Breakfast Program 2007-08 School Year

Regulatory Authority:
Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-265) Section 201

Contact Person:
Jimmy Burks

Phone Number:
501-324-9502

E-mail:
jimmy.burks@arkansas.gov

Severe need breakfast reimbursement rates will be available for the 2007-2008 school year. These new 2007-2008 school year reimbursement rates will be announced after July 1, 2007. For information purposes, the reimbursement rate for the 2006-2007 school year was an additional $.24 for each free or reduced price breakfast.

REQUIREMENTS:

To qualify for the severe need breakfast reimbursement each SCHOOL (not school district) must meet the following criteria:

1. The school is currently participating in or desires to begin a breakfast program.
2. Forty percent (40%) or more of the lunches served to students in a school in the second preceding year (2005-2006) were served free or at a reduced price.

DISTRICT DECISION:

Each district MUST COMPLETE the attached District Decision Form even if the district is NOT going to apply for individual schools to receive the severe need breakfast reimbursement rate. This form must be signed by the school district superintendent and mailed to the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Child Nutrition Unit (CNU) office. Forms may also be faxed to CNU at 501-324-9505; however, the forms cannot be e-mailed.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Each district that DOES want to apply to receive the severe need breakfast reimbursement rate MUST COMPLETE two copies of the attached Severe Need Application Form, listing ALL SY05-06 SCHOOLS regardless of whether a school may be eligible. All schools must be included without regard to the 40% criteria because the total participation in all schools for lunches served to students must balance to the total number of lunches claimed by the school district for the 2005-2006 school year.

The severe need determination is made on a per school basis, not for the entire school district. Only the schools that maintain lunch counts by EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL may be approved for this additional reimbursement. For example, if two Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) (i.e., Junior High and High School) use the same cafeteria and the meal counts are not reported separately for each LEA to the district level, NEITHER will be eligible for the special severe need rate regardless of the per cent (%) of Free and Reduced Price participation. See the note in the Instructions for column 7 for help determining participation numbers.

REQUIRED FORMS TO RETURN TO CNU:

Print and return ONE (1) completed and signed original 'District Decision Form' and (if the district does want to apply to participate) send TWO (2) completed and signed original 'Severe Need Application Forms' before March 9, 2007 to:

Arkansas Department of Education
Child Nutrition Unit
ATTN: Jimmy Burks
2020 W. 3rd Street, Suite 404
Little Rock AR 72205

PAPERWORK REDUCTION:

Schools are no longer required to complete the severe need justification report for these additional funds. Effective July 1, 2004, Section 201 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 amended the criteria for determining a school’s eligibility for severe need breakfast reimbursement. This change eliminates most of the paperwork associated with the additional reimbursement.

Attachments:

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