For most parents, the start of the new school year means spending money and a large amount of time filling out their child’s registration packet.
Although most people would argue their information rarely changes from one year to the next, school districts utilize every bit of information, particularly, the information pertaining to the free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches.
Based on the amount of students that are eligible to receive the discounted or free meals based on their parents’ income, districts often receive millions of dollars in federal aid to be able to provide theses meals to students.
After the recent release of a report by the state Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes, which found several large school districts elsewhere in the state illegally dipping into student meal funds, the state Department of Education ordered eight districts to repay nearly $170 million to their student meal programs. These districts included those in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Ana and San Francisco. Imperial County districts were not part of the report’s findings.
In order to ensure its funds are managed appropriately, the El Centro Elementary School District makes the understanding of the fund guidelines a top priority.
“It is a very tedious process, but it has to be done,” said Susan Fitzpatrick, assistant superintendent of administrative services at the El Centro Elementary School District. “We have a director of Child Nutrition Services and she’s extremely knowledgeable on the details. The guidelines are very specific on what the money can be spent on in addition to the food, and portion sizes we are allowed to serve.”
As of Feb. 1, the El Centro Elementary School District has more than 4,000 students eating free or reduced meals and is expected to receive $2.3 million from the federal government and $400,000 in local and state revenue, according to Fitzpatrick.
“All of the money is meant to benefit the program,” she said. “It can pay for a number of things such as personnel or kitchen equipment. It also funds the meals we provide during the summer.”
As long as schools in the district are holding summer school, children between the ages of five and 18 are eligible to receive meals, Fitzpatrick said.
This is true of all the districts in the county, which has 72 percent of students benefiting from the program, according to data records from the Imperial County Office of Education.
As a result of the high amount of students from low-income families, the ICOE Migrant Education program also offers free lunches during the summer.
“We partner with the school districts to provide the opportunity to work with them to offer the summer food program,” said Sandra Kofford, Migrant Education Program Region 6 director. “We work with the districts every year to exchange information on those students that are automatically eligible to receive free lunches because they are in the migrant program. We do this every year because sometimes their status changes and we are required to make note of that.”
Staff Writer Karina Lopez can be reached at 760-337-3439 or klopez@ivpressonline.com
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