The District implemented the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) beginning in FY 2025, providing free breakfast and lunch districtwide. Prior to CEP implementation, all students were required to enter Student ID information at the point of sale, which automatically generated accurate CN-6 and CN-7...
The District implemented the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) beginning in FY 2025, providing free breakfast and lunch districtwide. Prior to CEP implementation, all students were required to enter Student ID information at the point of sale, which automatically generated accurate CN-6 and CN-7 reports used for reimbursement claims. With the implementation of CEP, the Food Service Director eliminated Student ID entry at the cash register for grades K-5 to simplify service for younger students and improve meal service efficiency. As permitted by Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), the District transitioned to using daily paper count sheets to record meals served. This manual process required accurate daily calculations, which introduced risk due to the absence of automated checks. Because the District had historically relied on automated point-of-sale reports, the Assistant Treasurer did not independently recalculate or verify the CN-6 and CN-7 meal counts prior to submission in CRRS. As a result, inaccuracies occurred in multiple monthly reimbursement claims. Effective November 1, 2025, the District implemented corrective measures to strengthen internal controls over meal counting and claiming. The daily count sheets were converted from a paper format to an Excel-based worksheet with built-in formulas to ensure accurate calculation of daily and monthly meal totals for CN-6 and CN-7 reporting. The Food Service Director is responsible for completing the daily count sheets and ensuring that daily totals align with CN-6 and CN-7 report data. The Assistant Treasurer has been designated as the responsible individual for reviewing CN-6 and CN-7 reports and verifying that reported meal counts agree to the reimbursement claim submitted in CRRS prior to submission. These corrective actions establish segregation of duties, improve calculation accuracy, and ensure required internal controls are in place to comply with 7 CFR § 210.8(a) and 7 CFR § 220.11(b). The District believes these measures adequately address the audit finding and will prevent recurrence of meal count inaccuracies in future reimbursement claims.