2014-2015
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Department of Food & Nutrition
Verification
Confirming a household’s eligibility for free
and reduced price meals by requiring
documentation to support information
listed on the meal application.
Federal Mandates
• Error prone sample selected on October 1st
(3% of applications on file)
• Process completed by November 15th
• ZERO tolerance for errors
• Results of verification apply to all students on
application
Verification Steps
1. Error prone sample selected
2. Households notified of selection
3. Documents collected and reviewed
4. Households notified of status change
5. Automatic termination for no response
6. Completion of record keeping
Selection of Error Prone Sample
ITS will send copies of Notification Letters and the
Meal Verification List to the school.
Letters will be addressed to the parents of the
youngest student on the family application. School
sites will only receive Notification Letters if the
youngest student attends that school.
Schools Must Do the Following:
• Print the applications selected for verification from
the Department of Food and Nutrition website
http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/verification
• Attach Notification Letters to applications
• Create the following files for Verification:
1.
2.
Meal Verification List
Meal Applications
Notifying the Household
• The Department of Food and Nutrition sends the
Notification Letters to the households.
• Parents have two (2), ten (10) day periods to
respond with documents. The first period is
operating days. The second period is calendar
days.
• All Notification Letters should be received by
households by October 10th.
• Start of the first ten (10) operating day period is
October 10th.
Collecting Documents
from the Family
Income
Income Verification
• Proof of each income listed on application
• Based on GROSS income amount when
application was submitted and up to time of
verification
Income Documents
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Paycheck stub (overtime counts if it is the norm)
Official dated letter from the employer
Supplemental Social Security Income Notice
Unemployment Compensation Notice
Tax Return for self-employed ONLY
Social Security Retirement Benefits
Court Decree (child support/alimony)
Disability Award/Compensation
Workers’ Compensation
Veterans’ Administration Benefits
Other dated, confirmed and documented information
SNAP/TANF/FDPIR
Requirements:
• Official, dated documents from the Department of
Children and Families or FDPIR Office
o Letter of Eligibility
o Notice of Case Action Letter
o Other letters showing name of parent or child’s
case number with benefit eligibility dates
• Electronic Benefit Transfer cards are not accepted
• Directly Certified students are not verified
• Households without proper documents may
complete a new application providing income
documentation.
Collected Documents
• Attach copies of documents to the copy of the
student’s application – DO NOT USE STAPLES.
• A new application is required if a family changes from
income to SNAP/TANF/FDPIR.
• A new application is not required if documents show a
different income amount.
($200 monthly income reported; pay stub shows $500 per
month – a new application is not required).
Send Copies of Documents to
The Department of
Food and Nutrition
• Send copies of verification documents with the
application ID number noted on each document.
• If the frequency of the income is unclear, clarify with
the household and note it on the document prior to
sending to the Department of Food and Nutrition.
Status Updates
• The Department of Food and Nutrition
is responsible for updating all verification student
activity.
• Positive benefit changes are effective immediately
upon entering into ISIS.
• Negative benefit changes are held in suspense for
ten (10) days.
Schools must send home the Verification Status Letter
(generated by ITS) notifying parents of the negative
change effective in 10 days.
Households with No Response
• If households do not respond by Friday, October 24th,
students are moved into the ISIS suspense file
• Schools MUST send home the Verification Status
Letter immediately upon receipt from ITS or from
Control-D Web to students who have not yet
responded
This starts the second ten (10) day calendar period
• Households have until Wednesday, November 5th to
respond with appropriate documents.
Transfer and Withdrawal
Students
• Applications remain in the Verification File
• School sites must add incoming transfer students
and note withdrawal students on the Meal
Verification List
• Transfer students are required to complete the
verification process at the school they have
transferred to
Transfer Students
If the transfer student has not completed
verification at his/her previous school, the
receiving school must follow the procedures for
the verification process:
• Print the application
• Add student to the Meal Verification List
• Collect and review documents
• Send documents to Food and Nutrition
After Wednesday, November 5th,
AUTOMATIC TERMINATION of
Meal Benefits to Students Who
Have Not Responded!
Completion of the
Verification Process
• File the final Meal Verification List on the following
dates from Control-D Web on:
• Thursday, November 6th (students who had not
responded)
• Friday, November 14th (students who are pending
negative status change updates)
• Notify any gifted school sites, alternative programs,
magnet centers, etcetera of the student’s change in
benefit (print the ISIS screen) .
Completion of the
Verification Process (continued)
• Notify the food service manager of eligibility status
updates (print the ISIS screen).
• Have a plan for those students who show up
Thursday, November 6th and Friday, November 14th
without money (e.g. alternate meal plan).
Record Keeping
The following Verification Files should be maintained
at each school site:
 Meal Verification List (include all lists)
 Meal Applications
 Printed copies of verification applications
attached to copies of:
 Notification of Verification Letter
 Verification Documents
 Verification Status Letter(s)
 Report of Verification Students with No ISIS Activity
Reapplication for Meal
Benefits
• Verification Students must submit a new
application and all documentation that was
required during the verification process.
• Send a new paper application along with
documents to the Department of Food and
Nutrition, Attention: FAST Center.
Reapplication for Meal
Benefits (continued)
• Copies of all applications and verification
documents remain in the Meal Application File
(Verification).
• Do not record reapplication results on the Meal
Verification List.
Remember: meal applications are accepted anytime
during the school year.
Summary of School
Responsibilities
• Print applications and place in Meal Application file.
• Attach Notification Letters to applications.
• Collect and review all documents.
• Attach copies of documents to application and
maintain in Meal Application file.
• Send copies of documents with the application ID#
noted on each page to the Department of Food and
Nutrition.
Summary of School
Responsibilities (continued)
• Send Verification Status Letter(s) home with student.
• Place verification lists in Meal Verification List file.
• Document Transfers/Withdrawal students on the
Meal Verification List.
• The receiving school is responsible for completing the
verification process for transfer students if the
process has not been completed.
• Reapplications must include the Verification
application ID number.
Accessing Applications On-line
http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/verification
Available October 10, 2014
Log-In Page
ENTER:
1. EMPLOYEE #
2. E-MAIL PASSWORD
School Site Verification List
Click Printer Icon to print all applications
Sample Income Application
Control-D Web
Final Meal Verification List:
Product # T0514P83-01
Control-D Web Viewer Handbook:
http://ehandbooks.dadeschools.net/user_guides/11.pdf
http://intranet.dadeschools.net
Control-D Web Report Viewer
Control-D Web Report Viewer
Procedure for Viewing
Student Lunch Information
in ISIS
Verification
Questions and Answers
Questions from Parents
Q. What is verification?
A. An audit that is required by the federal
government to certify eligibility conducted by the
Local Educational Agency (LEA).
Q. Why was I selected?
A. Your application fell within the required criteria for
review and was randomly selected.
SNAP/TANF/FDPIR Documents
Q. Is a copy of a SNAP/TANF/FDPIR debit card
acceptable?
A. No. Only an official, dated document from the
Department of Children and Families showing the
case number, name of recipient(s) and date of
eligibility is acceptable.
Accessing and Printing
Applications
Q. How do I obtain student applications for my file?
A. You may access the applications on-line at
http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/verification (see
verification presentation for further instructions).
Reapplication for Meal
Benefits
Q. Do parents need to fill out a new application if the income is
different than what is on the application?
A1. A new application is not required if verification
information is a change in income (e.g. a check stub shows
more/less income than reported on the application).
A2. A new application is required when a student changes
from income eligibility to a SNAP/TANF/FDPIR qualifying
number or vice versa (e.g. a student brings in a Notice of Case
Action for food stamps when an income is reported on the
application).
Income Reporting
Q. How is overtime income counted?
A. If the income is a one time or sporadic source of income, it should
be calculated based on regular monthly income without overtime. If
the overtime is typical, it should be included (ask the parents and
document conversation on the documents provided).
Q. If a household is paid weekly and submits a pay stub for a week,
must I go back and ask for pay stubs for an entire month?
A. No. If the weekly pay stub is representative of what the
household normally receives, one pay stub is sufficient. If pay
frequency and/or pay period are not provided, contact household for
clarification.
Q. Is a copy of a tax return acceptable?
A. For self employed ONLY. Monthly income should be determined
by taking the reported gross earnings and dividing by 12.
Submitting Documents
Q. Should I collect my documents and send them in all
at once?
A. No. Send in documents for each household as you collect
them, even if it is for only one family application. Include
Application ID number on all documents submitted.
Q. Where should I send my documents?
A. Send documents to Location #9025, Department of Food
and Nutrition, Attention: FAST Center.
Department of Food and Nutrition
Ph: (786) 275-0400, Ext. 5000
Faxes:786-275-0641
786-275-0840
786-275-0842
Please call if
you have any
questions.
Thank You!
This presentation may be accessed on-line at
http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/Verification