MN HF4325

Department of Education must identify by April 1 each year all schools and districts in the national school lunch program with 40 percent or higher identified student percentage under Community Eligibility Provision federal guidelines.

Department must communicate potential eligibility to every participant, provide technical application assistance, and track whether participants apply or decline to apply.

Schools and districts declining to apply must report to the department by July 1 the number of new students who could receive free meals and their specific reasons for not participating.

Department must provide annual report to legislative education committees by January 1 listing potentially eligible schools and districts that have not applied, including their reasons for nonparticipation and calculated amount of declined federal resources.

Effective date is July 1, 2018.