What could be up? Elementary School Changes for next year?

[Anonymous]

I guess all those NHE kids just get rich by the time they hit 3rd grade. It's really ridiculous to equate SNAP with FARMs. It's a whole process to get SNAP and I'm sure many would rather not accept it anyway. Schools have put a lot of effort into parent education about FARMs forms in order to get them returned and get that critical staffing. Lots of people fill out FARMs forms and qualify for it that have never looked at SNAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is up is that for schools who are on the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) for meals, schools did not collect FARMS information in the Fall at the direction of MCPS. Instead MCPS developed a formula that uses the number of students who are from families with SNAP benefits. It seems that MCPS was not are that these are very different groups of people. Many low income families are not eligible for SNAP. As a result some schools which are typically in the automatic qualification group for Title 1, dropped below the threshold. Unfortunately this seems to be most the case for schools with a higher number of undocumented families in their population.

There is work to be done to rectify the situation. Oakview has had no trouble with Title 1 qualification in the past even with the CES which is only about 10% FARMS students. However with the loss of counted students in the new formula Oakview only comes up to 63% low income students. It would be 88% if the CES was not factored in. The K-2 school that Oakview is paired with New Hampshire Estates has the highest proportion of low income students in the county.

Thank you for this information. Which office/which people in central office were responsible for developing this new formula?

[Anonymous]

Seems like MCPS is proposing draconian cuts to mobilize families and teachers to get the Council to pay for their health insurance screw up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is up is that for schools who are on the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) for meals, schools did not collect FARMS information in the Fall at the direction of MCPS. Instead MCPS developed a formula that uses the number of students who are from families with SNAP benefits. It seems that MCPS was not are that these are very different groups of people. Many low income families are not eligible for SNAP. As a result some schools which are typically in the automatic qualification group for Title 1, dropped below the threshold. Unfortunately this seems to be most the case for schools with a higher number of undocumented families in their population.

There is work to be done to rectify the situation. Oakview has had no trouble with Title 1 qualification in the past even with the CES which is only about 10% FARMS students. However with the loss of counted students in the new formula Oakview only comes up to 63% low income students. It would be 88% if the CES was not factored in. The K-2 school that Oakview is paired with New Hampshire Estates has the highest proportion of low income students in the county.

Not sure the details of eligibility for SNAP vs FARMS, but our school admin has suggested that the new calculation methods for FARMS basically leave out all of our new immigrant families. So much for equity.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that the new calculations have dropped four schools and added six. I think finding out which were dropped and which were added will be enlightening.

Sounds like Oak View and Strathmore are dropped, but what are the other two? And which are being added?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that the new calculations have dropped four schools and added six. I think finding out which were dropped and which were added will be enlightening.

Sounds like Oak View and Strathmore are dropped, but what are the other two? And which are being added?

And why would the dropped schools not become Focus schools, which still receive additional funding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that the new calculations have dropped four schools and added six. I think finding out which were dropped and which were added will be enlightening.

Sounds like Oak View and Strathmore are dropped, but what are the other two? And which are being added?

And why would the dropped schools not become Focus schools, which still receive additional funding?

I guess one question is did the new eligibility calculations cause them to drop from Title I to not even focus? Because that would be kind of unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is up is that for schools who are on the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) for meals, schools did not collect FARMS information in the Fall at the direction of MCPS. Instead MCPS developed a formula that uses the number of students who are from families with SNAP benefits. It seems that MCPS was not are that these are very different groups of people. Many low income families are not eligible for SNAP. As a result some schools which are typically in the automatic qualification group for Title 1, dropped below the threshold. Unfortunately this seems to be most the case for schools with a higher number of undocumented families in their population.

There is work to be done to rectify the situation. Oakview has had no trouble with Title 1 qualification in the past even with the CES which is only about 10% FARMS students. However with the loss of counted students in the new formula Oakview only comes up to 63% low income students. It would be 88% if the CES was not factored in. The K-2 school that Oakview is paired with New Hampshire Estates has the highest proportion of low income students in the county.

CEP is a federal program. MCPS didn’t develop the formula; the federal government did.

[Anonymous]

Looks like there is a new rule at the federal level that lowers the required minimum percentage of students eligible for SNAP/TANF in order to qualify for the Community Eligibility Program. I can see how this would reduce the need for MCPS to collect household income information from families in order for them to get free meals, but it seems odd they wouldn't have predicted the impact on Title 1 eligibility?

[Anonymous]

"This final rule lowers the minimum ISP from 40 percent to 25 percent and makes conforming changes to ISP-related requirements ( i.e., grace year eligibility and identification/notification/publication requirements). Electing CEP is a voluntary decision made by LEAs based on their unique student populations. Prior to participating in CEP, LEA decisionmakers should consider student nutrition, educational, administrative, and financial factors. This rule does not impose any new requirements on LEAs or schools. Through this final rule an increased number of LEAs, schools, and groups of schools will be eligible to offer all students lunches and breakfasts at no-cost when it is financially viable. This final rule supports state and local choices to expand the availability of no-cost school meals for all students through programs supported by state or local funding."
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/fr-092623

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is up is that for schools who are on the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) for meals, schools did not collect FARMS information in the Fall at the direction of MCPS. Instead MCPS developed a formula that uses the number of students who are from families with SNAP benefits. It seems that MCPS was not are that these are very different groups of people. Many low income families are not eligible for SNAP. As a result some schools which are typically in the automatic qualification group for Title 1, dropped below the threshold. Unfortunately this seems to be most the case for schools with a higher number of undocumented families in their population.

There is work to be done to rectify the situation. Oakview has had no trouble with Title 1 qualification in the past even with the CES which is only about 10% FARMS students. However with the loss of counted students in the new formula Oakview only comes up to 63% low income students. It would be 88% if the CES was not factored in. The K-2 school that Oakview is paired with New Hampshire Estates has the highest proportion of low income students in the county.

CEP is a federal program. MCPS didn’t develop the formula; the federal government did.

This feels wrong. CEP uses SNAP eligibility to determine which schools participate, but MCPS did not need to use the CEP formula to determine how they distribute Title I funds. That was a choice, and a bad one in the specific case of MCPS given the very high number of recent immigrants (not yet signed up) and the decision to place "magnet" programs in high needs schools.

I don't have a dog in the fight, but I'm stunned and saddened that a bureaucratic decision to use a bad-fit formula is going to lead to hundreds of children losing access to mental health, ESOL, and educational support services. This is an ideal example of "following the data" straight to hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is up is that for schools who are on the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) for meals, schools did not collect FARMS information in the Fall at the direction of MCPS. Instead MCPS developed a formula that uses the number of students who are from families with SNAP benefits. It seems that MCPS was not are that these are very different groups of people. Many low income families are not eligible for SNAP. As a result some schools which are typically in the automatic qualification group for Title 1, dropped below the threshold. Unfortunately this seems to be most the case for schools with a higher number of undocumented families in their population.

There is work to be done to rectify the situation. Oakview has had no trouble with Title 1 qualification in the past even with the CES which is only about 10% FARMS students. However with the loss of counted students in the new formula Oakview only comes up to 63% low income students. It would be 88% if the CES was not factored in. The K-2 school that Oakview is paired with New Hampshire Estates has the highest proportion of low income students in the county.

Here is information on formulations for Title 1 funding. I am still trying to understand technical issues. Why isn't TNIF used for qualifying instead of SNAP? TNIF has broader eligibility and can help qualifying immigrant families.

https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/understanding-relationship-between-cep-and-title-I-funding.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is up is that for schools who are on the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) for meals, schools did not collect FARMS information in the Fall at the direction of MCPS. Instead MCPS developed a formula that uses the number of students who are from families with SNAP benefits. It seems that MCPS was not are that these are very different groups of people. Many low income families are not eligible for SNAP. As a result some schools which are typically in the automatic qualification group for Title 1, dropped below the threshold. Unfortunately this seems to be most the case for schools with a higher number of undocumented families in their population.

There is work to be done to rectify the situation. Oakview has had no trouble with Title 1 qualification in the past even with the CES which is only about 10% FARMS students. However with the loss of counted students in the new formula Oakview only comes up to 63% low income students. It would be 88% if the CES was not factored in. The K-2 school that Oakview is paired with New Hampshire Estates has the highest proportion of low income students in the county.

CEP is a federal program. MCPS didn’t develop the formula; the federal government did.

The federal regulations allow for quite a bit of options for determining poverty level under CEP. Local districts come up with their own way of determining the poverty level of each school.

[Anonymous]

Community eligibility is actually a really important program for addressing hunger and ensuring that more kids in need get free meals.

“Not only does community eligibility increase participation in the school meal programs, it also reduces labor costs for schools, increases efficiency, reduces stigma, and increases federal revenues.”

https://www.mdhungersolutions.org/federal-nutrition-programs/community-eligibility-provision-cep/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Community eligibility is actually a really important program for addressing hunger and ensuring that more kids in need get free meals.

“Not only does community eligibility increase participation in the school meal programs, it also reduces labor costs for schools, increases efficiency, reduces stigma, and increases federal revenues.”

https://www.mdhungersolutions.org/federal-nutrition-programs/community-eligibility-provision-cep/

Who are you responding to?