cep: is it right for your district?

© COPYRIGHT 2016 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION – #ANC16 – SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

CEP: Is it Right for your District?

Julie Griffith, MPH, RD – Colorado Office of School NutritionJill Kidd, MS, RD – Pueblo City Schools, Pueblo CO


Objectives

Participants will learn:• The benefits of CEP• Decision points and decision making tools• How to maximize the Identified Student Percentage• Steps to take to protect school funding

JK3

JK3 revised to match the objectives we originally submitted to snaJILL KIDD, 4/29/2016


• Healthy, Hunger‐Free Kids Act of 2010• Provides an alternative to household applications in the NSLP and SBP• No school meal applications are distributed

• Allows schools with a high percentage of directly certified free students to serve free meals to all enrolled students

• District makes the decision to participate based on eligibility (40% ISP or higher)

• CEP is designed to be easy for a school or district to adopt • Reimbursement is based on percentage of identified students multiplied by 1.6 for free claiming rate

What is CEP?

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Colorado Demographics

General FactsColorado Office of School Nutrition

• Total Population –5,456,574

• 24.4% persons under 18 years• Approximately 1,364,144

• 12% of total population in poverty

• 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 live in poverty

• SY 2015‐16• 185 SFAs

• 5 RCCIs• 5 Charters• No private schools

US Census Bureau 2014

Colorado’s Success with CEP

School Year 2014‐15 School Year 2015‐16

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• 8 SFAs • 32 school sites

• 6 districtwide• 1 with a group of schools

• 1 individual school site

• 14 SFAs participation• 82 school sites

• 9 districtwide• 4 with a group of schools• 1 individual school site

JK4 I suggest removing these 2 slidesJILL KIDD, 4/29/2016


Colorado Legislation

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• Colorado Senate Bill 07‐059 – Smart Start Nutrition Program• State covers the $.30 reduced price charge for breakfast for all grades• CEP has less impact on breakfast revenue unless ISP is above 50%

• Colorado Senate Bill 14‐1156 – School Lunch Protection Program• State covers the $.40 reduced price charge for lunch for grades PK ‐ 5• CEP has less impact on lunch revenue unless ISP is above 50%

• CRS– 22‐54‐112(4) Public School Finance Act of 1994• Requires every public school to complete a meal application or Family Economic Data Survey (FEDS) to determine eligibility for at‐risk or per pupil funding

JK1

JK1 Julie, Is there a way to reduce the number of words on this page? Could you reduce words on the slide but say the same information during the presentation?JILL KIDD, 4/29/2016


Training and Technical Assistance

• CEP Data Reporting Webinar• Reviewed submitted CEP data for accuracy

• CEP Implementation Webinar• Step by step process for implementing CEP in SY 2016‐17

• Visits to new districts• Provided one‐on‐one visits to new CEP LEAs

JK2

JK2 I really reduced the words on the slide by removing the dates.JILL KIDD, 4/29/2016


Current Outreach Strategies

• Outreach to qualified Districts • Provide technical assistance and financial analysis during the decision making process

• Collaborate with advocacy groups• Provide information to CEP districts on how CEP impacts per pupil funding

• Mentoring program for new CEP districts


Pueblo City Schools

• 33 schools• 68% free and reduced• 88.2% ISP• Universal free breakfast • Classroom breakfast in 29 schools• Previously not charging for meals in 19 schools

CEP Benefits

Students/Parents Schools

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Students enjoy free, healthy mealsNo stigma attached with a free meal Higher participation

Reduced paperwork Streamlines meal service operations Increased revenueNo applications – no verification Counting and claiming is simplified


Making the CEP Decision

• Does CEP benefit the meal program?• Reimbursement• Participation• Loss of state funding for reduced price meals• What happens if we return to regular program in the future

• Does CEP benefit children?• Will CEP have a negative impact on school funding?

• Title I• E‐rate• State At‐risk student funding


Identified Students Percentage (ISP) is Key

Identified Student Percentage (ISP)

Percentage Free Percentage Paid

40% 64% 36%

45% 72% 28%

50% 80% 20%

55% 88% 12%

60% 96% 4%

62.5% 100% 0%

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The reimbursement rate for both lunch and breakfast is determined by multiplying the percentage of Identified Students by a 1.6 multiplier. The resulting number is the percentage of meals reimbursed at the “free” reimbursement rate, with the rest being reimbursed at the “paid” rate.



• Identified students• Those students who are certified for free meals NOT through individual household applications• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

• Homeless/Runaway• Migrant• Foster• Head Start• Non‐applicant students approved by LEA officials

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• Maximize the district ISP• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)• Update direct certification files frequently• Extend eligibility to other household members

• Homeless/Runaway• Work with Title X Liaison to understand CEP• Title X Liaison should update district files in

March • Automated data transfer

• Migrant• Work with Migrant Coordinator to understand

CEP• Set up automated data transfer

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• Foster• Build relationship with county official for foster care

• Set up automated data transfer on monthly basis• Head Start

• If district operates Head Start programs set up automated data transfer

• Non‐applicant students approved by LEA officials


Family Economic Data Survey for State Funding Formula

• When meals are not linked to form ‐ lower submission rate

• Marketing and FEDS collection plan• Data reporting for principals• Efforts to change state funding formula rules


State challenges

Remove state level barriers to participation in CEP• Work to resolve state school funding procedure challenges

• Work to improve state alternative application requirements


Contact InformationJill Kidd, MS, RD, SNSDirector of Nutrition Services Pueblo City [email protected]

Julie Griffith, MPH, RDProgram SpecialistCDE Office of School [email protected]

cep: is it right for your district?

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