Audit 378658

Federal Program: Child Nutrition Cluster AL No.: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pass-Through Entity: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Award No.: As listed on the Schedule of the Expenditures of Federal Awards Award Period: Various Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Criteria: A student's eligibility for free or reduced price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of a annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. These certifications must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Food Services, or their equivalent, to ensure data reported by the student's householf is comparable to published income eligibility guidelines. Condition: We noted applications were missing written approval from the Director of Food Services. Additionally, the District was not able to provide all complete student applications. Cause: Missing applications and approvals were due to lack of oversight. Effect: Students may be receiving free or reduced meals that were not eligible to be received. Questioned Cost: None. Recommendation: We recommend that the District maintain applications for all applicable students and ensure they are reviewing and approving those applications. Views of the Responsible Officials: Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the Child Nutrition annual application process will be done online. Before being finalized, it will be required for the Food Service Director to attach an electronic signature. All applications will be stored online for easy retrieval and less risk of misplacement or loss. Any paper applications that are submitted will be reviewed and manually signed by the Food Service Director. Paper applications will be filed in the Director's office.