Audit Checklist For School Nutrition Programs

An audit checklist is an indispensable resource when conducting quality assurance audits, serving as a roadmap for collecting evidence to demonstrate compliance with specific criteria.

Compton officials maintain they did not submit false enrollment data and that their computer files accurately reflect enrollment for free or reduced-price meals.

1. Documentation
Schools must present documentation to verify eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, including verification forms, eligibility files, meal counts and audit. Usually these documents can be found stored within their food management area and made accessible upon request.

Schools must implement internal controls to verify eligibility and count meals accurately, including systems of checks and balances comparing daily free/reduced-price meal counts with data that identifies potential fraud; as well as procedures for following up suspicious meal count numbers.

Schools must ensure the food and beverages served meet federal nutrition standards, including protein and fat intake, sodium intake, fiber consumption, vitamins, and minerals. When serving these products to students, schools must explain their method of production as well as any added ingredients; such as using small amounts of preservatives to prevent spoilage on locally produced produce or pasteurizing milk for safety reasons.

2. Meal Patterns
School nutrition programs play an integral part of California children’s lives. These programs provide nutritious meals to low-income students, English learners, foster youth, and low-income households supported by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Despite recent challenges associated with meal programs, enrollment remains robust among eligible students.

Program operatorss must utilize National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program meal patterns that meet dietary specifications, providing weekly offerings of fresh fruits and vegetables, fluid milk, lean protein sources, whole grains and realistic sodium levels.

USDA offers numerous resources and training opportunities for school nutrition personnel, helping program sponsors develop menus that fulfill these requirements. These resources are made available to school districts that participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs as well as private nonprofit schools offering free and reduced-price meals and day care homes – they even cover schools operating food services through student stores or other means.

3. Staff Training
School nutrition programs provide essential support for low-income students, providing healthy meals and imparting skills needed for productive adulthood. Furthermore, these programs act as an invaluable way of targeting funds towards those most in need – such as English learners and foster youth.

Compton Unified will be audited by the state to ascertain whether it submitted inaccurate meal counts in its application for federal and state reimbursement of meals served to low-income children. Inspectors will spend four or five days reviewing district computer files to provide evidence that meal counts are correct.

School nutrition directors and staff must undergo training that provides them with an in-depth knowledge of basic nutrition concepts, current dietary guidance, and how to promote healthier food options among their pupils. Cal-Pro-NET, which includes institutions representing California’s three public college systems, provides training and resources for school nutrition personnel; on this page there is a searchable list of resources that fulfill USDA professional standards training requirements.

4. Nutrition Program Management
An error in reporting food service program data can lead to an agency being declared seriously deficient by the CDE and placed on their National Disqualified List, potentially jeopardizing participation in programs like NSLP, SBP, CFFP or SFSP.

CalFresh (also known as food stamps), WIC and school meals enrollment rates differ widely by county in California. Building connections among these programs is essential to helping families access resources necessary to live healthy lifestyles.

This workshop will present local efforts to connect children with nutrition programs through a needs assessment survey. The survey was designed for different levels of child nutrition staff including kitchen and line personnel; managers/supervisors; and directors. To ensure relevant questions were asked of staff members at all times. It will then present its results; conducted by ten counties throughout California as a consortium of agencies.