The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), in coordination with the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI), will be initiating changes in the way Local Education Agencies (LEAs) report Free Meal/Milk Program or Reduced Price Meal Program eligibility data.

Carol Wolenberg, MDE Deputy Superintendent, sent a memo to superintendents and business officials May 13 to alert districts that reporting procedures will change beginning in October 2008. The change in reporting free and reduced eligibility is intended to provide a single source of data that impacts such important programs as Adequate Yearly Progress (subgroup identification of economically disadvantaged students), eligibility for a district’s E-Rate Program, Section 31a of the State School Aid Act, and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.

Previously, this data was collected from two separate sources: October reimbursement claims from the Child Nutrition Program (CNP) and Field 31, supplemental nutrition eligibility in the Single Record Student Database (SRSD). The new process will not replace the CNP claim structure for districts that participate in CNP.

Free and Reduced data collection changes will include:

• The SRSD will not be used to collect Field 31, Supplemental Nutrition Eligibility.
• The State’s new Student Data System will be used for a separate submission as of October 31, 2008.
• The Free and Reduced Eligibility data collection will open on or about October 1, 2008, and will close on November 15, 2008.

Over the next few months, CEPI and MDE will send additional information via e-mail regarding the new application, training, and changes in the reporting of Free and Reduced Eligibility data.

If you have questions, the CEPI contact is Meghann Omo at 517.241.2689 or omom@michigan.gov; the MDE contact is Dawn Harris at 517.373.4335 or harrisd6@michigan.gov.