2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None
2023-001 U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Assistance Listing #10.553-10.559, Internal Controls over School Nutrition Program (Child Nutrition Cluster)
Criteria: To receive free or reduced meals through the School Nutrition Program, students must qualify for such funding either though meeting income guidelines, receiving TANF or SNAP, or by being on the DHS preapproved list. This qualification must be assessed through applications submitted by parents or via other qualifying documentation.
Condition: Approximately 60 students were marked as eligible for free meals without substantiating eligibility through the required application process or via alternative documentation.
Cause: During fiscal year 2023, there was a very low rate of return for school nutrition applications. As such, management used administrative override to judgmentally determine that approximately 60 additional students were considered free. Controls were ineffective in preventing this administrative override from management.
Effect: The District may have erroneously received supplemental School Nutrition Program funding.
Recommendation: There are no provisions in the regulations that provide for large scale reclassifications through administrative override. As such, we recommend that only students who are deemed eligible for free or reduced meals through the application process be marked as such. All eligibility determinations should be documented and reviewed by an official with adequate knowledge of the School Nutrition Program eligibility criteria.
Questioned Costs: None