Finding Text
7 C.F.R. ? 245.6a required the School District to verify select free and reduced food service applications. The verification process includes selecting a sample of applications and obtaining written documentation regarding income. 7 C.F.R. ? 245.6a, paragraph (a)(7) documents that sources of information for verification include written evidence, collateral contacts, and systems of records. Written evidence shall be used as the primary source of information for verification. Written evidence includes written confirmation of a household?s circumstances, such as wage stubs, award letters, and letters from employers. Whenever written evidence is insufficient to confirm income information on the application or current eligibility, the local educational agency may require collateral contacts. Collateral contacts are verbal confirmations of a household?s circumstances by a person outside of the household. Agency records to which the State agency or local educational agency may have access can also be utilized for verification. The School District selected six applications for verification. One family verbally communicated their household earnings to the School District and later submitted a wage stub within the verification time period. However, the School District utilized the verbal earnings amount in the verification process rather than using the family's wage stub, resulting in the family receiving free status rather than denied or full pay status. Furthermore, this would have led to receiving less program income from providing meals as well as being over reimbursed for claimed meals relating to this family's actual benefit usage. The School District should review the annual ?Ohio Department of Education Office for Child Nutrition - Verification Instruction Manual? as well as the Federal requirements outlined within 7 C.F.R. ? 245.6a. All verifications should be performed in accordance with the manual and be performed by someone other than the original verifying official on the initial application. Additionally, all income documentation should be reviewed to ensure that amounts entered into the food service management system are correct. These procedures will help to ensure that benefits are correctly calculated and provided as well as help to ensure that the School District is not over or under reimbursed for claimed free and reduced lunches.