Finding Text
7 C.F.R. § 245.6a(c)(1) states the local educational agency must verify the eligibility of children in a sample of household applications approved for free and reduced-price meal benefits for that school year. 7 C.F.R. § 245.6a(e-f) outline the procedures to be performed by the local educational agency during the verification process, as well as the required changes to be made to the eligibility determinations, as based on the results of the verification procedures.
7 C.F.R. § 245.6a(h) states, in part, by February 15, each local educational agency must report information related to its annual statutorily required verification activity. Local educational agencies shall retain copies of the information reported under this section and all supporting documents for a minimum of three years. All verified applications must be readily retrievable on an individual school basis and include all documents submitted by the household for the purpose of confirming eligibility. The District submitted the School Food Authority (SFA) Verification Collection Report for the 2022-2023 school year on November 4, 2022 indicating verification of 10 applications was completed. However, the District was unable to provide documentation to support the required verification procedures were performed during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 to determine if those required verification applications were correct in their benefit type.
The District should establish and implement procedures to verify that the required verification is performed and all necessary documentation is properly maintained.