Finding Text
Finding 2023-002 – Eligibility
Federal Award & Specific Award Identification
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Passed through the New York State Department of Education
Program Name: Child Nutrition Cluster
CFDA 10.555 & 10.553
MATERIAL WEAKNESS
MATERIAL NONCOMPLIANCE
Eligibility
Criteria
The National School Lunch & Breakfast Program requires student eligibility be calculated based on household income and size.
Statement of Condition
During the audit, we found that for one application, which included 3 students, had the incorrect determination of free/reduced/full price meals.
Cause
Human error in the input of household size in determining the student’s eligibility.
Effect
Three students received reduced price meals for the school year when instead should have paid full price.
Questioned Costs
None
Context
Of the 40 student applications that were tested, one application had the incorrect eligibility determination.
There have been no previous instances of non-compliance. This is not a repeat finding.
Recommendation
We recommend that a secondary review of the eligibility determinations be performed.
View of Responsible Individuals
The BOCES acknowledges the error was made, which was the result of utilizing the incorrect household size in determining eligibility. The BOCES will implement quality control procedures that will verify the correct parameters are used in calculating eligibility.