ATTENTION: SUPERINTENDENTS, CHILD NUTRITION DIRECTORS, MEAL APPLICATION DETERMINING OFFICIALS
In accordance with 7 CFR 245.6(c)(1-2) eligibility carryover
allows children to maintain their eligibility status from the prior school year
for up to 30 operating days into the subsequent school year. An operating day is defined as a day that
reimbursable meals are offered to eligible students under the National School
Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).
Districts have administered the Seamless Summer
Option (SSO) during the regular school year for the last two years and all
meals were claimed at the free rate. The transition back to normal NSLP and SBP
will restart the requirement for meal eligibility to be established for each
student to ensure districts are claiming meals at the required free, reduced,
or paid rate.
To ease this transition, the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a waiver allowing school
districts in Arkansas to carryover the most recent eligibility established from
prior school years 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022. The carryover will last up to 30 operating
days in SY 2022-2023 or until a new eligibility has been established, whichever
comes first. Eligibility determinations
may come from a meal application or direct certification through the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Homeless, Migrant, Foster,
Head Start or Even Start.
Any district wishing to utilize this flexibility
must opt in by filling out this FORM and returning to ade.cnu-a-ps@ade.arkansas.gov.
On the 31st operating day of SY 2022-2023,
carryover from previous year(s) will expire. Districts must count and claim
meals based on current year eligibility established in those first 30 operating
days.
All districts should use the Eligibility
Manual for School Meals when determining and
verifying eligibility.
Please contact your Area Specialist for more
information at 501-324-9502.