When families apply for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP), they’re asked to report household income. The distinction between gross and net income matters — and the federal rules are very specific. Many schools mistakenly ask for net income (take-home pay). That’s incorrect […]
Category: For school administrators
From tuition to trust: managing school finances like pros
Schools are financial institutions in disguise. Tuition, cafeteria sales, activity fees, donations, bus passes—every dollar that flows through the district creates a liability, an obligation, or earned revenue. Pretending otherwise is how budgets implode, audits go sideways, and community trust evaporates. PushCoin v3 is deliberately opinionated: it treats every school like a business because that’s […]
A passwordless system for PushCoin V3
One of our main objectives with PushCoin V3 is to eliminate the use of passwords. Passwords have long been the weakest link in online security and a constant source of frustration for families and administrators alike. Parents often forget their passwords. Reset emails don’t always arrive or get lost in cluttered inboxes. Supporting password resets […]
PushCoin v3: Minimizing customer-related information
“Less is more,” said Mies van der Rohe. Timeless advice from architecture carried over to software design. Why we are simplifying profiles PushCoin v3 focuses on what is essential for transactions and ledger integrity. By limiting the data we require about customers (students, parents, or staff), we reduce onboarding friction, simplify integrations, and lower our […]
PushCoin v3: what’s changing in account mapping and how to get ready
PushCoin v3 – the next major release scheduled for 2026/27 – will enforce two rules in the chart of accounts: Why this matters Example account tree A product, such as Hot Meal, can be assigned to revenue account 4120 Lunch (leaf), but not to 4100 Food service revenue because the latter account (code 4100) has […]
Navigating meal applications with Medicaid numbers: a brief guide for school business officials
With the increasing use of direct certification and families submitting applications containing both income data and a Medicaid number (or SNAP/TANF), school business officials must navigate these applications carefully to stay compliant with USDA regulations and state privacy laws. This guide outlines the correct procedure for evaluating such applications under the National School Lunch Program […]
Reframing the Registration Fee: A sustainable policy to reduce refund burden on schools
Each year, school districts invest significant time and resources processing student registrations—verifying documents, assigning placements, planning class sizes, ordering materials, provisioning technology, and more. Yet, an increasing number of families enroll in multiple districts simultaneously, ultimately choosing one and requesting refunds from the rest. This practice, while understandable from a family’s perspective, leaves districts facing […]
Must Illinois public schools serve meals to students without money—even not on NSLP?
School business officials across Illinois have long understood the requirements of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP): schools that participate must provide a meal to any student who requests one, regardless of their ability to pay. But what happens when a school building—often a high school in a unit district—does not participate in NSLP? Can […]
Student Wallets Reinvented: A Look into PushCoin V2
In the next major release of PushCoin, the Student Wallet feature has been significantly redesigned. PushCoin V1 (Current Version) In the current production version (V1), the Student Wallet functions as an account that can accept both charges—typically from cafeteria point-of-sale (POS) systems—and deposits from parents. Charges for meals deduct the Wallet balance, while other charges, […]
Identified Inconsistencies in USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines Based on Income Frequency Reporting
Policy Memorandum Subject: Identified Inconsistencies in USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines Based on Income Frequency Reporting Reported to USDA, ISBE: October 25, 2019Most recent update: June 6, 2025 Author: Slawomir Lisznianski, PushCoin Overview Analysis of the USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (130% and 185% of the Federal Poverty Level) for the 48 […]