Texas ELMS

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Texas ELMS

	What is Texas ELMS? Texas ELMS (Texas Eligibility List Management System) is a private software system available to assist our National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program partners. It streamlines the process of matching enrollment records to students in households receiving federal assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or select types of Medicaid. Through Texas ELMS, these students are directly certified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals based on their household's participation in the programs. Because Texas schools are required to complete the direct certification matching process monthly, using Texas ELMS can improve the accuracy and efficiency of determining eligibility. The matches that occur in the system complement partners’ direct certification of eligible student groups outside of Texas ELMS (foster, homeless, and migrant for example). Importantly, schools must not use Texas ELMS eligibility information for any purposes other than determining school nutrition program benefits. More information about Texas ELMS, direct certification, direct verification, and related reporting can be found below. Direct Certification Direct Certification is a federally mandated process for determining student eligibility for free school meals automatically through documentation obtained directly from a state or local agency or authorized program representative. When a student is directly certified, the household does not need to submit a meal application. This saves parents and school administrators time, and provides a uniform and efficient method for eligibility determinations. Direct Verification Direct Verification is a special process that may be used to expedite the verification of a sample of Applications during the October 1 - November 15 time frame. The process uses public records (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid to verify a student's eligibility for free or reduced price meals when verification of a student's eligibility is required. When a Local Education Agency (LEA) is able to directly verify eligibility, the LEA is not required to notify the household of its selection for verification. LEAs are not required to conduct direct verification, but the LEA will find that there are benefits from doing this process. Direct Verification streamlines the verification of applications - saving the LEA time and effort. By increasing Direct Verification, the number of applications that the LEA must verify by contacting the household is decreased. If any student in the household is identified using the Direct Certification/Direct Verification System in TX-UNPS or records provided by another governmental agency, all students in the household are directly verified, and there is no need to request additional documentation from the household. Direct Verification is a specialized process that should be utilized ONLY within that context and should not be used to establish eligibility. As such, Direct Verification is not available for use except during the October - December time period each year. Policy & Handbook Administrator's Reference Manual (ARM) Section 4, Eligibility Determination Section 6, Verification of Eligibility Training System Overview Account Security Texas ELMS and Direct Certification - An Overview File Formats for Texas Elms Direct Certification and Direct Verification (MegaCon 2023) Direct Certification and Direct Verification Decision Paths Direct Certification Matching Process Prepare an Enrollment Upload File Upload an Enrollment File Download a Match Report Match Priority Claiming and Unclaiming Unclaimed EDG Number Matches as an Upload File Individually Search, Claim or Unclaim a Student Partial Match Individual Search Batch Unclaim Multiple Students Trouble Shooting Tips for Working with Excel Check for Blank Columns Identify New Matches Direct Verification Direct Verification Overview Upload and Match Report Reporting Required Annual Reporting Overview Verification Reporting SY25 Verification Reporting Timeline SY25 Verification Reporting Reminders SY25 Verification Reporting Tips Verification Reporting - Common Errors SY25 CE Reporting Requirements Sample Size Calculator CEP Reporting CEP Report - Overview CEP Implementation Chart CEP Reporting Tips

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. Additional translations services available as well.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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