School districts are required to report annually the enrollment and number of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals as recorded in the Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN) Cycle 2 Report. The source documents which are the basis of the count of enrollment and eligibles data entry must be as of October 1, 2008. This data, referred to as the OCTOBER 1 REPORT, must be submitted on APSCN during the period between October 1 and October 15, 2008.
School districts must establish a CUTOFF DATE and TIME between the first and fifteenth of October that will be used to establish Cycle 2 meal eligibles. This date must be agreed upon by the APSCN SIS Coordinator and the Child Nutrition Director, and must be communicated to the data entry personnel in the buildings. It is recommended during this cycle processing time that no changes be made to the students' meal status. This will better ensure that the eligible counts match between the food service system and APSCN data.
DOCUMENTATION:
All SCHOOL REPORTS (rpt431 and rpt436), and all DISTRICT REPORTS (rpt331 and rpt336) MUST AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING CHILD NUTRITION DOCUMENTATION of eligible Free and Reduced-Price Students BEFORE SUBMISSION to APSCN and the Child Nutrition Unit (CNU), Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).
For each student coded as eligible for free or reduced-price meals, there must be one of the following source documents:
• a currently approved household income application on file, OR
• the student’s name must be included on the DIRECT CERTIFICATION list, OR
• the student’s name must be included on the list provided by the HOMELESS or RUNAWAY liaison, OR
• the student’s name must be included on the list provided by the federally funded HEAD START or EVEN START program director, OR
• the student’s name must be included on the list provided by the MIGRANT coordinator.
These source documents must be retrievable by the school regardless of the school district’s method for certifying eligibility, whether it is centralized or by school.
OTHER STUDENTS REPORT:
The OTHER STUDENTS REPORT includes students/children participating in the district reimbursable school meals program such as (1) Adult Education or (2) Students served REIMBURSABLE MEALS and enrolled in other districts, i.e., vocational education, alternative education or students from adjacent states, or (3) children between the ages of six weeks and under 3 years of age served in a district sponsored day care program. This separate “Other Students Report” MUST be completed by each district. Students reported as “Other” receive reimbursable school meals, but do not fit the age and grade ranges of Pre-K (3-4 years old) for Report #436 and Kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12) for Report #431. If the district has no OTHER STUDENTS, complete this report by checking the “NOT APPLICABLE” boxes. THE SUPERINTENDENT’S SIGNATURE must be on this report to be accepted.
TO BE PROCESSED, ALL SEPTEMBER CLAIMS MUST HAVE THIS “OTHER STUDENTS REPORT” ATTACHED.
SUBMISSION PROCESS:
1. Before submission of data via the APSCN Cycle 2 Report, the physical source documents which determine free and reduced-price eligibility of students and the APSCN computer data for each student must match each student’s eligibility status as of October 1, 2008.
2. Student data entry at the school level should be stopped until the district reconciliation is completed and the report printed and submitted to APSCN.
If this is not done and new students are added, then the district data submitted to APSCN and the printed reports will not balance. When this data does not balance, the superintendent is required to justify this discrepancy in writing. The justification of discrepancies in enrollment or eligibles must include changes by school, grade level, and gender of students.
3. All reports must be reconciled, printed, and submitted to APSCN at the SAME TIME and on the SAME DATE. Failure to follow this procedure will result in reports/source documents that do not match data submitted.
TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS:
For convenience in training district personnel, please see the Attachment below that outlines the recommended “Procedures for Processing Applications.”
For reference, a copy of the 2008 Arkansas version of the USDA Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual may be printed from the Child Nutrition webpage: http://cnn.k12.ar.us. Click on the Eligibility button; then, click on “Eligibility Manual for School Meals,” Revised 2008.
DEADLINE AND REPORTS:
No later than October 15, 2008, submit the following SIX items at the same time, by fax or by mail, to the Child Nutrition Unit, Arkansas Department of Education:
1. SEPTEMBER Claim for Reimbursement
2. SCHOOL DATA – Signed Copies of the SIS rpt431 (K-12) (one for each school)
3. SCHOOL DATA – Signed Copies of the SIS rpt436 (one for only schools with pre-school programs)*
4. DISTRICT DATA – Signed Copy of the SIS rpt331 (K-12) (submit total for ALL K-12)
5. DISTRICT DATA – Signed Copy and SIS rpt336 (pre-K) (submit total for ALL pre-K or indicate ZERO STUDENTS when no pre-K)*
6. OTHER STUDENTS REPORT – ALL districts must submit this form SIGNED by the Superintendent.
The September claim for reimbursement WILL NOT BE PAID WITHOUT the complete set of APSCN Cycle 2 Reports and Other Students Report.
*See Commissioner’s Memo FIN-09-020 for instructions on reporting Pre-School students on APSCN Cycle 2 Reports.
PROVISION 2 DISTRICTS:
PROVISION 2 DISTRICTS MUST FOLLOW A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROCEDURE.
PROVISION 2 districts will be mailed individualized school and district level reports to complete. Direct questions to assigned Child Nutrition Unit Area Specialist or Robert Ginder.
Submit all required October 1 Reports and September claims as follows:
BY FAX: 501-324-9505
OR
BY MAIL:
Child Nutrition Unit, Arkansas Department of Education
Attn: Donna Ratliff
2020 West 3rd Street, Suite 404
Little Rock, AR 72205
For additional information or questions, contact assigned Child Nutrition Unit Area Specialist, Robert Ginder, or Wanda Shockey at (501) 324-9502.