NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND SPECIAL PROVISION SCHOOLS

A number of schools in South Dakota participate in the Special Provisions allowed in the National School Lunch Program.  These reduce the amount of paperwork required by eliminating the need to gather applications for free and reduced price meals in needy areas if the school offers a nonpricing meal program and has a high percentage of students eligible for meal benefits.

With the advent of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) there has been concern for documentation of need when no application data exists.  A joint letter signed this week by US Department of Education Under Secretary Hickok and US Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Bost resolved this issue.  The letter states, in part,

We have determined that, for purposes of disaggregating assessment data and for identifying students as “economically disadvantaged” in implementing supplemental educational services and the priority for public school choice, school officials may deem all students in Provision 2 and 3 schools as “economically disadvantaged.”  In addition, when determining Title I eligibility and allocations for a Provision 2 or 3 school, LEA officials may assume that the school has the same percentage of students eligible for free and reduced price lunches as it had in the most recent year for which the school collected that information.

 A link to view the letter may be found at http://www.state.sd.us/DECA/CSCF/CANS/index.htm under News and Events.  Further information about special provisions can be obtained from Child and Adult Nutrition Services (605-773-3413) or Grants Management (605-773-3456).

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