1. Collection & Accountability
July 2016
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

2. Learning Objectives Participants should be able to understand:
Acronyms for School Nutrition Programs
Difference between Pricing and Non-pricing programs
Elements of an acceptable collection and accountability system
Acceptable methods of collection for income
Acceptable methods of accountability for school meals/snacks
What method of collection and accountability will work best for each school
How to complete an edit check worksheet

3. School Nutrition Programs Acronyms
SNP-School Nutrition Programs
SFA-School Food Authority
NSLP-National School Lunch Program
SBP-School Breakfast Program
ASSP-After School Snack Program
SMP-Special Milk Program
POS-Point of Sale
F-Free
RP-Reduced Price
P-Paid

4. School Nutrition Programs Acronyms (Cont.)
SOP-Standard Operating Procedures
FSE- Food Service Employees
BID-Benefit Issuance Document
MEL-Master Eligibility List
CEP-Community Eligibility Program

5. What is my Job
All food service personnel involved in the collection or accountability system need to know:
Exactly what their job is
Be knowledgeable of the SFA’s policies
Be trained in their job functions
Be capable of fulfilling their responsibilities

6. Monitoring
The collection and accountability systems must be monitored to ensure that they are working properly according to the SFA’s policies/SOPs
Observe that FSE are correctly implementing the systems that have been established.
Ensure that:
FSE and related staff understand the importance of their position
FSE and related staff have the necessary items to do their job
Substitutes are trained
The system works regardless of who is doing the job

7. First Things First Pricing or Non Pricing Pricing
Determine the price to charge for paid and reduced price meals(breakfast, lunch and if applicable after school snack)
How to determine: Potential Income Form
Public & Charter-Form 173
Non-Public-Form 157
Students will be charged the SFA’s established prices as listed on the Letter to Parent
Prices cannot exceed the maximum prices established annually by the state agency. (Form 168)

8. First Things First… Non-pricing
Regardless of a student’s eligibility ( Free, Reduced or Paid) all students are served meals free of charge
No income is collected
Income from reimbursement and/or a la carte sales and the SFA’s general fund is used to support the SNP

9. Preventing Overt Identification
Eligibility information must never be publicized or used in such a way that student’s categories may be recognized by other students or individuals
The same payment options must be available to all students regardless of eligibility
If using tickets publicize the availability of tickets for all eligibilities
Publicize prepayment of meals
Ensure that the medium of exchange is not distinguishable from the paid eligible
Ensure that all students have the same option when ordering meals

10. Collection
A system used by SFAs to receive payment from students for meals/snacks served
Refers to all steps within a meal count system involved in paying for meals and issuing and collecting the cash, ticket, ID number which eligible students exchange to obtain a meal
Must prevent overt identification of students receiving free or reduced price meals/snack

11. As per the Schedule A –Site details
Methods of Collection
As per the Schedule A –Site details
Cash register
Cash Box
Computerized System
Classroom
Envelope
Non pricing
Post Payment Billing

12. Methods of Collection…
Register/Cash Box or Computer
If cash is accepted online/at the point of service, a prepayment or post-payment billing system should also be in place to prevent overt identification
1-Cash Register
Money is accepted from the student either on the serving line/at the cash register or in advance
Programmed with specific cash register keys for income: RP, RP prepaid, RP charge, RP charge repaid, Paid, Paid prepaid, Paid charge, Paid charge repaid.
Post sign indicating students can prepay for meals in advance

13. Methods of Collection …
2-Cash Box
Money is accepted from the student in advance or on the serving line using a cash box
A system must be developed to keep track of the eligibility of the student receiving the meal AND the type of payment:
Cash
Prepayment
Charge
Charge repayment

14. Methods of Collection…
3-Computerized System
Money can be collected in advance with a prepayment system set up by the SFA or on the serving line
Money is deposited in the student’s account
Each time the student purchases a meal the money is deducted from their account balance
Meals are recorded by eligibility category
Households and students can be reminded when the account is low

15. Methods of Collection…
4-Classroom
Students indicate they are going to “buy a meal”
Money is collected daily in the classroom
Money is sent to the food service office
The name of the student and amount of money is recorded
Tickets or medium of exchange indicate the child is “buying a meal”
Meal counts still have to be taken at the point of service

16. Methods of Collection…
5-Envelope
Students are provided with preprinted envelopes with the menu or a preprinted menu or the household sends in an envelope with the student’s name.
The household indicates the day(s) that meals will be purchased.
Tickets or medium of exchange indicate the child is “buying a meal”.
Meal counts still have to be taken at the point of service

17. Methods of Collection…
6-Non Pricing
Money is not collected from students. Regardless of a student’s eligibility
All children are served meals free of charge
7-Post Payment Billing
Money is not collected in advance or on the day the meal is served
The number of meals served to students by name and date is maintained
Households are billed based on the number of meals served to the student times the selling price

18. Elements of an Acceptable Counting and Claiming System
Eligibility Documentation
Collection Procedures
Point of Service Meal Counts
Reports
Claim for Reimbursement
Internal Controls
An audit trail is created from the application/DC letter to the MEL to the medium of exchange

20. Accountability-Meal Counting & Claiming
Ensuring accurate claims for counting, at the point of service, by category the number of free, reduced and paid meals/snacks.
Point of service: That point in the food service operation where a determination can accurately be made that a reimbursable free, reduced price or paid meal has been served.
Must prevent overt identification of students receiving free or reduced price meals/snack.
Student eligibility recorded and controlled.

21. Accountability - Meal Counting & Claiming
Point of Service:
The point in the meal service, after all components are offered, where it can be accurately determined that a reimbursable free, reduced or paid meal has been served. Applies to :
All meal service lines
Classrooms/locations where meals are served
Meals sent on field trips and claimed for reimbursement

22. Methods of Accountability
Examples:
Computerized POS
Coded ticket
Coded roster
Tally

23. Methods of Accountability…
1-Computerized Point of Sale System
Information on each student is entered in a data base
At a minimum-name, eligibility(F, RP or P) effective date of eligibility or active date and termination date
Nice to have-date of birth, school
Data base maintains all information for each student.
Can be uploaded from the Student Information System.
The student information system and the POS system must be compatible.
Uploads must occur daily or when a change is made in the eligibility of the student, new students enroll or students transfer
POS works best if you have a cafeteria and the kids come through the line.
POS works only when good eligibility data has been put in.
Must keep updates correct – not one and done.

24. Methods of Accountability…
1-Computerized Point of Sale continued…
Students are assigned a PIN# and/or receive a swipe card or biometric print
PIN # is the same the entire time the student is enrolled in the SFA
When students receive a meal they enter their PIN # or swipe their card or give their name to the cashier
At the end of the meal service a report is generated that identifies how many meals were served by category

25. Methods of Accountability…
Advantages
Less labor involved
High level of accuracy
Good for schools with a high enrollment
Meal counts by category are tabulated by the POS
May generate the edit check worksheet
Various reports can be generate by student-meals served, account balance etc.
Historical reports may be maintained
Prevents overt identification

26. Methods of Accountability…
Disadvantages
Costly
School must have the space and power requirements to install and set up
Only as good as the information in the POS data base

27. Methods of Accountability…
2-Coded Tickets
Each student is provided with a coded ticket
The ticket contains the student’s name and a non- overt eligibility (F, RP or P) code
Sample tickets-Form 54
Cashier collects a ticket from the student at the point of service
The meal is counted by category and recorded on cash register keys or tickets are counted by category

28. Methods of Accountability…
Coded tickets continued…
If the school has a cash register:
At the point of service students hand their coded ticket to the cashier
Cashier rings into cash register on the appropriate coded key
End of meal service “Z out” the cash register
Record meal counts by category on a cashier report
Transfer categorical counts to the edit check worksheet
Maintain cash register tape as a program record

29. Methods of Accountability…
Coded Tickets continued…
Cash box or no cash register
At the point of service students hand their coded ticket to the cashier
Cashier either after the meal service or in between meal periods:
Separates the tickets by category
Counts the tickets by category-Daily Tally of Tickets or Roster -Form 28 suggested
Records meal counts by category on a cashier report
Transfers categorical counts to the edit check worksheet

30. Methods of Accountability…
Advantages
Can be an efficient and accurate
Allows for the prepayment of meals
Disadvantages
Must be written out by hand or labels generated from the MEL
Must be distributed daily
Must be updated when a student’s eligibility changes
Distributed to the wrong student
Students:
Lose the ticket
Give to a friend

31. Methods of Accountability…
Coded Rosters
A weekly or monthly roster is generated with:
Names of F, RP and P students purchasing a meal
A non-overt code/eligibility of each student
Cashier or other individual :
Given the coded roster
At the point of service checks off the name of the student after receiving a reimbursable meal
Daily counts the number of checks by category
Daily records the categorical count on the roster
Daily enters the meal counts by category on the edit check worksheet

32. Sample Meal Count Roster-Form 162
CLASS MEAL ROSTER
(1)
(2)
(3)
Month & Year:
School:
Classroom:
(4)
(5)
(6 & 7)
(12)
Student Name
Code M T W TH F
MO. Total
TOTAL FREE (8)
TOTAL REDUCED PRICE (9)
TOTAL PAID (10)
TOTAL MEALS (11)

33. Methods of Accountability…
Advantages
Suitable for schools with a small enrollment
Allows for prepayment
May be suitable for classroom serving
Disadvantages
Very time consuming
Often coded incorrectly
Often counted by category incorrectly
Often staff does not complete daily or correctly
Program record-has to be maintained for three years

34. Methods of Accountability…
4-Tally Method
Can only be used when all meals/snacks are claimed at the same eligibility. Ex-All F
Cashier or designated person:
At the point of service makes a slash tally each time a meal or snack is served
Counts the number of slashes
Records the total on the edit check worksheet

35. Methods of Accountability…
Advantages
Can be used for CEP or ASSP
Disadvantages
Can only be used when all meals/snacks claimed are the same eligibility

36. Regardless of the Method of Accountability
Develop written procedures for claiming student meals:
Counting & claiming backup if computerized POS is down
Field trips
Second meals
Visiting students
Charge meals

37. Charging Policy
SFAs are responsible for setting clear policies on collecting payment for school meals.
NJ Law effective February 2015:
If a student has foodservice debt: SFAs must allow a period of 10 school days for the parent to pay the amount due. If no payment is made by the end of the 10 school days, a second notice must be sent stating that breakfast/lunch will not be served to the student beginning one week from the date of this second notice unless payment is made in full.
Students must receive a complete reimbursable meal during the 15 day time period, although an alternate reimbursable meal is allowed.
Schools do not have to deny meals–this is a local decision

38. Decision Time
The method of collection and accountability will depend on:
The number of meals served
Grade levels
Cost
Staff
Location of meal service

39. Decision Time …
System chosen must provide an accurate point of service count:
Of reimbursable meals/snacks
By category (F, RP, P)
Each day
Without overtly identifying students’ eligibility categories

40. All This Work…So Now What ???
Meal counts must be maintained:
By SNP-SBP, NSLP, ASSP,SMP
Daily by category
Daily categorical counts for SBP, NSLP and ASSP must be recorded on an edit check worksheet
Count for free and paid milk must be recorded on a milk count worksheet

41. Reports-Edit Check Worksheet
Number of reimbursable meals served daily, by category to eligible students are recorded and reported by FSE to the SFA
Ensure that correct counts by category are reported in a way that can easily be consolidated into an accurate claim for reimbursement
For each school and meal type categorical counts must be accurate and recorded daily on the edit check worksheet
Inaccuracies will result in fiscal action

42. Edit Check Worksheets…
Required for all schools for NSLP, SBP and ASSP
Edit checks must be conducted:
Daily by Cashier/Manager
Monthly by SFA prior to certifying claim
Required comparisons must be made
Comments indicated, if needed, after comparisons made

43. Edit Check Worksheets…
Select the correct one depending on if meals are prepared on site or received from a commercial vendor or other SFA:
SFA preparing meals
Form 40
Vended meals from commercial vendor or another SFA
Form 37
Sample Edit Check Worksheet-Form 26

44. Edit Check Worksheet –Form 40

45. Vended Edit Check Worksheet-Form 37

46. Sample Edit Check Worksheet-Form 26

47. Claim for Reimbursement
On a monthly basis school by school meal/snack counts submitted to the state agency
Source document edit check worksheets
Other source documents:
Cashier reports
Coded rosters
POS reports
MEL/BID
Applications/DC documentation

48. Claim for Reimbursement…
State agency is responsible for paying the claim for reimbursement
Reimbursement rates are different for each category
Thus, accurate counting, recording and consolidating the number of meals/snacks served by category is essential for the SFA to be paid for meals served

49. Questions/Resources QUESTIONS: Call (609) 984-0692 FORMS:
or SNEARS/Resources
RECORDED WEBINARS
SNEARS/Training
WEBINAR POWER POINT
SNEARS/Resources/Training Presentations

50. Professional Standards
This webinar can count toward 2 hours of professional standards training:
Key Area- Administration
SFA Learning Topic- Program Management
Topic Code Administrative Review
Department of Agriculture
School Nutrition Programs
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

51. Available State Agency Forms
Sample Edit Check Worksheet-Form 26
Daily tally of Tickets/Rosters-Form 28
Edit Check Worksheet for Vended Sponsors-Form 37
Edit Check Worksheet-Form 40
Sample Tickets-Form 54
Do You Have an Acceptable Counting System at the Point of Service-Form 87
Non-Public-RCCI-Potential Income Chart-Form 157
Class Meal Roster-162
Public and Charter Potential Income Chart-Form 173
Maximum Price Schedule-Form 168
Point of Service Pyramid-Form-250
Posted in SNEARS/Resources or

52. Thank you for participating
Questions
Thank you for participating