Food & Nutrition Services

July 17, 2008

The Differences Between

Universal, Provision 2, and Regular School Food Service Programs

Orange County Food & Nutrition Services Program implemented Universal Meals in selected Title One Schools 2008-09. An evaluation of finances, increase in participation, and % Free/Reduced will be analyzed to decide if this will continue into 2008-09 for each school.

Category	Universal –in Title 1 schools > 80% F/R; to be determined	Provision 2	Normal status
Free/Reduced Applications	Collect aggressively to try to get to last year’s % F/R before free meals to all students starts; F/R application every year	Collect F/R applications for base year; do not collect for next 3 years.	Collect every year
Student impact – alternative meals	Free meals after %F/R status reached at school; County Wide Flip Date does occur so students pay according to this year status. Date to implement Universal Meals set by Principal and FNS Sr. Manager; no alternative meals after this “flip” date for the meals chosen by the school.	In base year, F/R applications till “flip” date - students pay or receive alt. meals according to status; alt. meals after first ”flip” date until free meals start; No alternative meals for 3 years at the school for meals that are Provision 2 for the meal(s) chosen.	Students pay for meals according to payment status. Alternative Meal after one meal charged if no funds in account for reduced and paying students. “Flip date” changes to this year status.
District Selection based on criteria for choice of Meals for program	Based on finances of 2007-08 evaluation; does not automatically happen every year. Breakfast and/or Lunch	Breakfast and/or Lunch	All meals
Payment for meals	USDA for actual F/R students who eat – the district receives no payment for “paid” or the remainder of the meal cost for “reduced”	USDA by % F/R – reimbursed for all meals served; free meals start with FNS date assigned.	USDA and students according to meal status payment set by OCPS Board and USDA

Category	Universal – we are doing	Provision 2 (denied by DOE)– we want to apply for next year	Normal status
Example of payment	380 students ate: 300 Free, 5 reduced; 75 Paid = $492. Reimbursement to FNS from USDA calculated on actual student status who ate that day, and can vary from day to day. District FNS receives no payment from paying or reduced status students.	% applied to total number of students eating not dependant on their status – but their school % F/R: So, the opportunity for more reimbursement is here. If more students ate on a day and were paid, the % doesn’t change. For example, if 342 Free, 2 reduced, and 23 paid, = $541 received in USDA reimbursements.	FNS would claim meals by student and their payment status = $369.
Staffing	Calculated by # of students participating	Calculated by # of students participating	Calculated by # of students participating
Point of Sale	All students names are entered as they receive their meal	All students names are entered as they receive their meal	All students names are entered as they receive their meal
Flip date	Oct. 4 free meals start IF school is near or at last year’s F/R %	USDA determines “flip date” the first year, then next 3 years no flip date, all meals start free first day of school.	Oct.4^th,; all students payment determined by current year’s F/R application.