Montana Code 20-10-205. Allocation of federal funds to school food services fund for federally connected, indigent pupils
20-10-205. Allocation of federal funds to school food services fund for federally connected, indigent pupils. The trustees of any school district receiving federal reimbursement in lieu of taxes may request the allocation of a portion of those federal funds to the school food services fund to provide free meals for federally connected, indigent pupils when the pupils are declared eligible. In granting the request, the county superintendent shall comply with the following procedures:
Terms Used In Montana Code 20-10-205
- County superintendent: means the county government official who is the school officer of the county. See Montana Code 20-1-101
- district: means the territory, regardless of county boundaries, organized under the provisions of this title to provide public educational services under the jurisdiction of the trustees prescribed by this title. See Montana Code 20-6-101
- fund: means a separate detailed account of receipts and expenditures for a specific purpose as authorized by law or by the superintendent of public instruction under the provisions of subsection (2). See Montana Code 20-9-201
- Pupil: means an individual who is admitted by the board of trustees pursuant to 20-5-101 and who is enrolled in a school established and maintained under the laws of the state at public expense. See Montana Code 20-1-101
- school: means an institution for the teaching of children that is established and maintained under the laws of the state of Montana at public expense. See Montana Code 20-6-501
- School food services: means a service of providing food for the pupils of a district on a nonprofit basis and includes any food service financially assisted through funds or commodities provided by the United States government. See Montana Code 20-1-101
- Trustees: means the governing board of a district. See Montana Code 20-1-101
(1)The indigency must be certified by the local office of public assistance, assisted by a committee of three composed of the county superintendent, a representative of the county health department, and an authorized representative of the district.
(2)A certified, detailed claim for the amount of the federal reimbursement in lieu of taxes that is to be allocated to the school food services fund must be filed by the district with the county superintendent. The county superintendent shall confirm or adjust the amount of the claim by:
(a)determining that the pupils included on the claim have been declared indigent under subsection (1);
(b)determining the number of meals provided the indigent pupils by the school food services;
(c)determining the price for each meal that is charged to the nonindigent pupil; and
(d)multiplying the number of meals provided to indigent pupils by the price for each meal.
(3)After the county superintendent’s confirmation or adjustment of the claim, the county superintendent shall notify the district and the county treasurer of the approved amounts for allocation to the school food services fund. The district shall deposit the approved amount in the school food services fund on receipt of the succeeding federal payment in lieu of taxes.