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(877) TEX-MEAL (Se habla Español)
Programs > National School Lunch Program > Texas ELMS
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  Maximize 

Direct Verification  Maximize 



Policy & Handbook

Administrator's Reference Manual (ARM)
 
  • Section 4, Eligibility Determination
  • Section 6, Verification of Eligibility

Training

System Overview  Maximize 

Direct Certification  Maximize 

Direct Verification  Maximize 

Reporting   
Required Annual Reporting Overview

Verification Reporting  Maximize 

CEP Reporting  Maximize 

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, 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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