Critical Differences Between Child Nutrition Forms and Economically Disadvantaged Forms in FY22

By Kathy Dunn, Director of Professional Learning for State and Federal Programs, CCOSA

Our goal at CCOSA is to inform our member districts of laws that govern our schools and best practices that elevate our schools to achieve maximum funding and ultimately maximum student success. The Economically Disadvantaged student count is intertwined with the Child Nutrition count and must be thoroughly understood to ensure schools are maximizing all available funding sources and services for our students. (For supporting information, view the full article on page 14 of Better Schools Magazine.)

Action Steps for Maximizing Funding for Economically Disadvantaged Students: the Cliff Notes in the October 1 Student Counts

1. Collect the forms that verify a student’s eligibility for the Economically Disadvantaged count

A. CEP school sites:

■ Collect as many Economically Disadvantaged forms as possible

B. Non-CEP school sites:

■ Collect as many Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch Forms as possible to maximize your funding for Title I

■ Collect Economically Disadvantaged forms for any students who will not complete the Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch Form to maximize your funding in State Aid, State Teacher Index, and E-Rate 2. Once you have collected Child Nutrition Free and Reduced forms or Economically Disadvantaged forms from eligible students, you will then mark all students who are eligible in your student information system so that information is accurately reported through the WAVE in your Economically Disadvantaged student count through:

A. Free and Reduced Lunch forms

B. Economically Disadvantaged forms

C. Direct Certification

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN BY STATE AID AND TITLE I

A. For State Aid Funding

It is important to count all of your eligible students as Economically Disadvantaged. Did you realize that every student you are able to count is worth approximately $866.79, a weight of .25, for your District in the State Aid formula?

Significant changes to collecting information on a district’s number of economically disadvantaged children began in 2018. In order to mark a student in your Student Information System (SIS) to be counted as Economically Disadvantaged for State Aid, you must have direct certification or verification of the family’s income.

State Aid Funding

Verification of a student’s Economically Disadvantaged status for State Aid must be on file by October 1 using one of the four ways that are approved for a student to be identified as Economically Disadvantaged:

1. the Economically Disadvantaged form, primarily used by CEP schools; OR

2. the Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch applications from the current year; OR

3. direct certification through the Department of Human Services:

■ Foster care students under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or the court system

■ Children ages 3-20, who are receiving SNAP/ TANF benefits

■ Children participating in the school’s Federal Funded Head Start program; OR

4. direct certification through your school district’s Homeless Liaison for Homeless and unaccompanied youth

Significant education funding sources that are impacted by the Economically Disadvantaged student count in the WAVE are:

■ the State Teacher Index

■ State Aid

■ E-Rate dollars In addition to funding streams, the Economically Disadvantaged student count pulled from the WAVE is used in a district’s Accountability reports.

B. For Title I Funding

Title I student counts come from direct certifications and the Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch form ONLY (with the exception of Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools).

Title I Funding

Verification of a student’s Economically Disadvantaged status for Title I must be on file by October 1 using one of the three ways that are also approved for a student to be identified as Economically Disadvantaged:

1. qualifying Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch applications; OR

2. direct certification through the Department of Human Services:

■ Foster care students under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or the court system

■ Children ages 3-20, who are receiving SNAP/ TANF benefits

■ Children participating in the school’s Federal Funded Head Start program; OR

3. direct certification through your school district’s Homeless Liaison for Homeless and unaccompanied youth

C. Unique Nature of Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Schools

In CEP schools, the collection of Economically Disadvantaged Data is unique and critical.

■ All students in a CEP school receive free meals from the Child Nutrition Program.

■ The CEP percentage determines the Title I student count.

■ However, for State Aid and State Teacher Index, in order for students in a CEP school to be included in the weighted count for Economically Disadvantaged students, districts must have an Economically Disadvantaged form signed by parents for each eligible student as verification of the low-income status, unless they have direct certification as explained above.

For the Economically Disadvantaged forms and more information, visit https://sde.ok.gov/economicallydisadvantaged. If you have issues with your data, make sure you contact the Office of Data and Information Systems at the State Department of Education at StudentDataInfo@sde.ok.gov or (405) 521-3020.

Why is it important to collect Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch Forms in October 2021 during a year when all students are eating free?

The Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch Form is the only form that will generate funding for the Title I allocations. The Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Lunch form is also the only form to confirm eligibility to receive free and reduced meal prices in a “normal” school year.

For the Free and Reduced Meal Application forms and more information, visit https://cnp.sde.ok.gov/oknslp/PrintDocuments.aspx. ■