End of School Year 2020-21 Edition
Change in Hybrid Calculations
Minnesota’s current P-EBT plan approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to periodically re-evaluate the status of hybrid learning across the state. MDE used a randomized survey process and found that in April, the average hybrid model was four days per week in person and one day per week distance learning. This is a decrease in the number of distance learning days used in the previous model. What does this mean?
Starting with April payments that will be issued in late June, the hybrid dollar amount will be reduced from $75 to $50. Since the hybrid calculations are also used for students in Student Elected Distance Learning (SEDL) for 11-18 days per month, these amounts will also be reduced. The dollar amounts for the distance learning model (and 19 or more SEDL days) will not change from $130.
Summary for April and May 2021 payments:
- In Person School Learning Model and SEDL 10 or fewer days per month: $0
- Hybrid School Learning Model and SEDL 11-18 days per month: $50 (versus $75 in previous payments)
- Distance School Learning Model and SEDL 19 or more days per month: $130
Summary for June 2021 payments:
Partial month payments will be issued for June based on the fact that schools do not operate for the entire month.
- In Person School Learning Model and SEDL 4 or fewer days in June: $0
- Hybrid School Learning Model and SEDL 5-8 days in June: $14
- Distance School Learning Model and SEDL 9 or more days in June: $61
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Safe at Home Lot Numbers
When entering lot numbers (which are like unit numbers) for safe at home addresses, please enter this information in the Address Line 2 field. If it is put into Address Line 1, the address validation automatically removes the lot number, and student records with safe at home addresses that are missing the lot numbers do not get processed. If the lot number is put into Address Line 2, it does not get removed by the address validation. Our vendor is working on a fix for this that will require the lot number to be entered into Address Line 2 in the P-EBT portal.
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Summer Plans
Do you have a plan in place for handling P-EBT activities over the summer? Refer to the P-EBT End of the School Year 2020-21 Checklist to ensure that students receive timely benefits over the summer. Topics discussed include:
- School distribution of cards and unclaimed cards
- Processing Applications for Educational Benefits over the summer
- Entering data into the P-EBT portal
- Keeping learning model data up to date through the end of the school year
- Ensuring your school continues to receive the P-EBT bulletin
Is another staff member taking over P-EBT responsibilities over the summer for your school/district? Update the P-EBT coordinator contact information that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) use: Read more about P-EBT coordinator responsibilities and change contact information.
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Additional Special Instructions for End of the School Year
Entering all students eligible for free and reduced-price meals
Nonpublic schools may not have entered P-EBT data up to this point if the school has been conducting in-person learning for the duration of the school year with no student elected distance learners. Nonpublic schools should now enter all K-12 and early learning scholarship students eligible for free and reduced-price meals into the P-EBT portal so that students receive the summer benefit, which will not be tied to learning model. Nonpublic schools will need to work with their local public school to receive state student IDs for eligible students.
Public schools should also enter all K-12 and early learning program free and reduced-price eligible students into the P-EBT portal. Remember that there are four pathways/programs for early learning P-EBT eligibility at public schools.
For both nonpublic and public schools, it is important to remember that the school had to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) prior to the pandemic in order for students to be eligible for School Year 2020-21 or summer 2021 P-EBT benefits. Inquire with your school foodservice director if you are unsure of a school’s NSLP status.
Entering enrollment end dates and student elected distance learning end dates
Nonpublic schools need to ensure that each student in the P-EBT portal has an enrollment end date listed. To make adjustments, search and click on the student name. In the Student Associations tab, click on the down arrow at the end of the school enrollment table to enter or update the enrollment end date. Nonpublic schools also need to ensure that end dates are entered for all student elected distance learners.
Public schools do not need to enter enrollment dates as it will be taken from the Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) data. If a student continues in student elected distance learning (SEDL) through the end of the school year, the SEDL end date also does not need to be entered. If any students end SEDL before the end of the school year, the student elected distance learning end date should be entered into the P-EBT portal.
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Have You Entered All Eligible Students into the P-EBT Portal?
MDE has noticed that some school districts have a low number of students entered into the P-EBT portal when compared to their MARSS fall 2020 submissions of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. This may be due to the fact that the school was following an in-person learning model for the majority of the school year.
Summer P-EBT benefits will not be tied to a learning model, so be sure to upload all free and reduced-price meal eligible students in grades K-12 and the approved early learning programs into the P-EBT portal so that students will not miss out on summer benefits. More information about the summer benefit, including estimated payment dates and amounts will be provided in future bulletin messages.
Please note that students graduating in the Spring of 2021 who meet the other eligibility criteria are eligible for summer benefits and should not be deleted from the P-EBT portal.
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New/Updated Resources
The PowerPoint slides from the May 25, 2021, webinar are posted on the P-EBT website. The recording from this training will be posted in approximately 7-10 days. Refer to the P-EBT website to view important program updates, including summer P-EBT benefits that were discussed during the presentation.
End of School Year 2020-21 P-EBT Checklist for Schools
Roles and Responsibilities
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