1 Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Directors (12 Hour) National Food Service Management Institute

Importance of Financial Management Objective: Know the importance of financial management to nutritional integrity and fiscally sound operations in the school nutrition program 22

3 Can you answer these financial management questions about the school nutrition program in your district?  Main sources of revenue?  Percentage of total revenue attributed to each source?  Expenditure categories?

4 More questions?  Cost to produce a meal?  Percent of revenue spent for labor or food?  Labor productivity index (meals per labor hour)?

5 More questions?  Net gain or loss over the past 3 years?  How many employees understand the importance of cost controls to the success of the program?

6 Defining Financial Management Financial Management can be defined as  The process of defining the financial goals and program objectives for the school nutrition programs, and  Implementing activities to attain those goals through the effective use of resources

Activities for More Effective Financial Management  School nutrition programs should plan through the budget process, apply more efficient cost control measures, increase productivity, and identify ways to increase resources. 7

8 Role of the School Nutrition Director in Managing Finances  Management of financial resources  Maintain financial accountability  Involve administrators, board members, cafeteria managers, and nutrition staff to identify goals  Promote team approach  Assess, monitor, and evaluate program funds  Maintain on-going training

9 Importance of Effective Communication and Ethical Behavior Objective: Know how to communicate effectively and behave ethically in the financial management of the school nutrition program

Definition of Communication  Communication is the exchange of ideas, messages, and information by speech, signals, writing, and behavior  Effective communication occurs only when the receiver understands the information or idea that the sender intended to transmit 10

11 How Much Do We Remember? ___ of what we hear? ___ of what we see? ___ of what we see and hear? ___ of what we see, hear, and say? ___ of what we see, hear, say, and do?

12 We Remember… 20% of what we hear. 30% of what we see. 50% of what we see and hear. 70% of what we see, hear, and say. 90% of what we see, hear, say, and do.

Importance of Effective Comunication  Communication is important to identify existing political issues in the district as they relate to school nutrition program finances 13

14 Stakeholders in the SN Program  District administrators  School board members  School business officials  Principals  Teachers  Cafeteria managers  SN employees  Students  Parents  Community

15 Importance of Ethics

16 Definition of Ethics Webster defines ethics as… Principles of right or good conduct

17 Three R’s of Business Ethics  Respect  Responsibility  Results

Development of a Financial Management System Objective: Know the basic financial recording processes and procedures for directing the operation of a school nutrition program 18

19 Financial Management Information System:  Provides a uniform and consistent financial reporting structure  Provides meaningful and timely financial management information  Supports federal reporting requirements

Financial Management Information System (cont.)  Adheres to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (known as GAAP)  Provides a basis for determining accountability 20

21 Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)  uniform standard of guidelines for financial accounting established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)  used in school districts for compliance with the Federal Department of Education requirements

22 NFSMI Financial Management Information System Available at

23 Classification of Expenditures  Labor  Employee Benefits  Professional and Technical Services  Property Services  Food and USDA Foods  Supplies  Capital Equipment  Miscellaneous  Indirect Costs  Fund Transfer-Out

Financial Reporting of Revenue and Expenditure Transactions Objective: Know how to use financial reports that are consistent with federal and state guidelines to achieve a financial management system that supports a cost effective program with high integrity 24

25 Types of Financial Reports Statement of Revenue and Expenditures (Net Gain/Loss Statement) Statement of Net Assets (Balance Sheet) Budget

26 Statement of Revenue and Expenditures  Revenue by source  Expenditures by category  Net/gain loss for the statement period  Comparison of current month with previous month’s information and year-to-date information

27 Statement of Net Assets  Assets Cash balance, receivables due, and value of inventories  Liabilities Outstanding payables Deferred revenue Sales tax owed (when appropriate)  Fund Balance

28 The Budget as a Management Tool The budget assists in managing the school nutrition program by  forecasting revenue,  identifying how revenue will be allocated for expenditures, and  predicting how much money will be in the fund balance at year’s end.

29 Methods of Budgeting 1.Incremental (baseline) – Previous year’s budget is starting point. Adjustments made to each line item to reflect expected changes 2.Zero – Start with zero for each line item and build according to expectations. 3.Combination – Uses zero for some items and incremental for other items

30 School Budgets  Public Documents The school nutrition program is a nonprofit operation conducted for the benefit of children. The program is tax supported. Public has a right to expect the nutritional needs of children are met in the most cost effective way.

Setting a Meal Standard for Financial Management and Analysis Objective: Know how to use financial management tools and standards to operate a financially and nutritionally accountable school nutrition program consistent with federal and state guidelines 31

32 Using Meal Equivalents in Program Analysis to Measure Performance By converting food sales to meal equivalents, the school nutrition director can determine  meal cost,  labor productivity ratios, and  the average revenue earned per meal/meal equivalent.

33 Meal Equivalent Conversion Formulas 1.1 lunch = 1 lunch 2.3 breakfasts = 2 lunches (2/3 =.67) 3.3 snacks = 1 lunch (1/3 =.33) 4.other food sales revenue from sales current free lunch reimbursement + current USDA Foods value per lunch

Managing Revenue in School Nutrition Programs Objective: Know how to analyze, interpret, and use revenue data for program evaluation and improvement. 34

35 Revenue Accountability  USDA mandates accountability for all revenue received, how that revenue is dispersed, and that the revenue generated is sufficient to sustain a nutrition program that serves food high in quality and nutritional value.

36 Revenue Analysis  Calculate average revenue per meal or meal equivalent  Establish consistent guidelines for pricing meals and other food items for sale  Compare revenue generated per meal with costs per meal

Why it’s important to compare revenue earned with meal cost  This comparison is useful because it helps determine if and where revenue needs to be increased, it allows you to analyze revenue by source, and it identifies areas in which revenue should be monitored for revenue loss. 37

38 Setting Meal Prices Average Lunch Cost ($2.56) minus Section 4 reimbursement ($0.24) minus USDA Foods Value ($0.2/75) yields Lunch Base Price = $ The projected average lunch cost of $2.56 is a hypothetical figure for illustrative purposes only. Many school districts project meal costs for the new school year based on anticipated increases in food, labor, and other considerations, and then use the formula to determine a base price for each meal served. *Rates shown in this slide are for school year

39 Considering State Funds When Setting Meal Prices Consider…  Is the state subsidy provided as a guaranteed reimbursement per meal, lump sum that is subject to annual change, and/or supplement funds to cover specific costs?  Is the school district nutrition program financially viable?

40 Focus of School Nutrition Programs  The main focus of the school nutrition program is to provide good nutrition that promotes the health and wellness of students so they can be more productive in the classroom.

41 Types of Nonreimbursable School Day Food Sales 1.Adult meals 2.Sale of a second meal to a student 3.Individual components of the reimbursable meal such as milk 4.Other food items not on the menu (a la carte)

42 Desired Food Cost Percent Mark-up  Steps to establish a base selling price 1.Determine raw food costs. 2.Identify the desired food-cost percentage for school nutrition program. 3.Divide the food item raw cost by the desired food cost percent.

43 Nonreimbursable Foods Sold Away from Campus or Outside School Day 1.Catered meals 2.Contract meals that do not qualify for reimbursement (Some meals such as day care might qualify for reimbursement.) 3.Special school function meals such as athletic banquets

Managing Expenditures in the School Nutrition Program Objective: Know how to analyze, interpret, and use expenditure data for program evaluation and improvement 44

45 Expenditure Analysis  Analyzing financial reports can provide information about patterns or trends, significant changes in costs categories, deviations from financial goals, possible abuse or theft, and transaction errors.

46 Types of Expenditure Analysis  Total costs to produce a meal  Meal costs per expenditure category  Percentages of operational costs to total revenue  Costs to produce a meal compared with the average revenue generated per meal

47 Meal Costs Deviations  Higher food costs at the beginning of the year due to larger than normal food purchases  Purchase of a large ticket item  Unplanned large repair bills

48 Food Cost Percentage to Total Revenue  Formula: Costs of Purchased Food Total Revenue  Example: $16,500 (food costs) $30,000 (revenue) =.55 x 100 or 55%  55 cents from each dollar generated was used to purchase food.

49 What do Cost Percentages Mean? If total of all cost percentages is  less than 100%, operating balance increases.  equal to 100%, program breaks- even.  more than 100%, operating balance decreases.

50 Comparing Revenue to Expenditures Comparing revenue to expenditures tells us 1.total net gain/loss to the school nutrition program expressed in dollars, 2.percent of gain/loss expressed in percentage of revenue, and 3.net gain/loss per meal or meal equivalent.

51 Controlling Food and Labor Costs in School Nutrition Programs Objective: Know how to apply cost control measures to operate a financially sound program with nutritional integrity

52 Meals Per Labor Hour Number Meals/Meal Equivalents Number of Paid Productive Labor Hours Example: 338 total meals/meal equivalents 24 paid productive labor hours = or 14 meals per labor hour

53 Using Participation as a Financial Management Tool Used as a forecasting tool to  prevent waste in excess labor hours and overproduction of food.  reduce customer dissatisfaction because of inadequate staff and too little food prepared for the number served.

54 Calculating the cost of food used helps to  determine if costs are within guidelines,  ascertain if there are sufficient funds to pay expenditures,  establish the cost for each meal equivalent served, and  prevent waste and food theft through monitoring food use.

55 Calculating Cost of Food Used Beginning Inventory (purchased and USDA Foods) + Total Purchases (purchased and USDA Foods) = Total Food Available - Ending Inventory (purchased and USDA Foods) = Cost of Food Used

56 Example of Calculations for Cost of Food Used ExampleAnnuallyMonthly Beginning Inventory $8,000 Food Purchases + 300, ,000 Food Available 308,000 33,000 Less: ending inventory - 7,000 Cost of Food Used $301,000 $26,000

57 USDA Single Inventory Guidance  Inventories of donated USDA Foods no longer must be separate from inventories of other foods.  Most USDA Foods are packed with commercial labels instead of USDA labels.  Procedures differ from state to state, and some states continue to maintain two inventories.  Follow the policies of your state and district.

58 Financial Planning and Budget Development Objective: Know the importance of using forecasted operational revenues and expenditures when developing a financial plan and budget for school nutrition programs

59 Financial Planning and Budgeting: Categories for Consideration 1.Customer Satisfaction 2.Internal Organization 3.Financial Aspects 4.Innovation 5.Trends

60 Developing and Analyzing a School Nutrition Budget Objective: It is important for school nutrition directors to understand the importance of using the budget as an analysis tool and control document

Tools to Analyze the Financial Status of School Nutrition Programs Objective: Identify appropriate tools and resources to analyze the school nutrition program’s financial status 61

Internet Resources for Child Nutrition Programs 62  United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI)  School Nutrition Association (SNA) 62

Follow-up Suggestions, Post Assessment, and Course Evaluation Objective: Recall the benefits of financial information as it relates to your school nutrition programs 63