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School Meals Program

September 2026 

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What is the anatomical name for a bunch of bananas?   Answer found below!

Local Highlights! 

Anchorage School District

ASD moves to a new service model in Elementary schools across district, increasing consumption and participation. Please take a moment to watch this short news cast:

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/21/real-food-real-people-asd-expands-new-school-lunch-service-model-all-schools/

Petersburg School District

Petersburg shares the magic happening locally though community partnerships! Take a look at: A Place at the Table: Reimagining School Meals in Alaska

Alaska School Meals Program Reminders

Upcoming Child Nutrition Meetings

September 1 @ 2:00 Non-compet. Technology Innovation Grant Presentation and Q&A

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/261362687494063?p=TtzRzGXDdslkQ5JtDE

Meeting ID: 261 362 687 494 063

Passcode: eK7ci6Ks

September 1 @ 2:30 Equipment Assistance Grant Presentation and Q&A

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/281736305762280?p=HJQncD4UEclj6SjqtL

Meeting ID: 281 736 305 762 280

Passcode: 8Vg2Cg9B

September 9 @ 2 PM School Meals Monthly Call

• LEP and Accessibility (Eli Barsey)
• Please email cnp.eed.schoolmeals@alaska.gov for link if you don't already have it

October 14 @ 2:00 PM School Meals Monthly Call

• Buying Local Foods (District insight requested!)
• Please email cnp.eed.schoolmeals@alaska.gov for link if you don't already have it

Claims - Submit claim data online through the CNP Web Database. July Claim Month - Submit to DEED by August 30, 2026. Late submissions will be accepted until September 29, 2026. August Claim Month - Submit to DEED by September 30, 2026. Late submissions will be accepted until October 30, 2026. The final claim will not be accepted if it is not in the Pending Approval status within 60 days of the last day of the claim month. Upward amended claims may be submitted throughout the 60-day period but no later than 60 days.  Be aware, claims in Error status cannot be paid and if help is needed from Child Nutrition the sponsor must contact Child Nutrition well in advance of the 60-Day Deadline.

2026 NSLP Conference Materials Click here to access the 2026 NSLP conference presentations, recordings, and other resources. For access to the procurement training, please email eed.cnp.schoolmeals@alaska.gov.

Alaska School Nutrition Association

Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:

Marriott Anchorage Downtown for 189.00 USD per night - Last Day to Book : Monday, January 11, 2027

Book your group rate for AKSNA Annual Conference 2027

Other Program Updates and Resources

Fact Sheets to Support Healthy Choices in School Lunch and Breakfast FNA released two fact sheets to support healthy choices in School Breakfast and School Lunch this school year.   Harvest to Hallways Incentive Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy Jointly Unveil New Investments to Bring More Nutrient Dense, Local Food into Schools and Give Cafeterias the Tools to Serve Healthier Meals.  Education and outreach campaign for "Local Option" school procurement $50 million investment in school cafeteria infrastructure $25 million additional Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants for FY2026 Encourage adoption of Pledge for Healthier School Meals Invest $30 million in research to improve nutritional quality of school meals Discover practical, actionable tips for sourcing and serving local foods, and bringing fresh, real ingredients to your students' trays. Whether you're new to local procurement or a seasoned pro looking for a refresher and new inspiration, this webinar is your chance to explore the many ways you can serve local foods and prepare for a delicious, nutritious school year. Local Procurement 101 will be offered twice, covering the same content in each session. State agencies, school food authorities, and others are welcome to register for either session. Choose the date and time that works best for you - both webinars will feature identical material.  Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. EST Learn more at www.usda.gov/harvest-to-hallways or download the resource here.

Chef Ann Foundation 2027 Grant Applications for Salad Bars to Schools Deadline: March 31, 2027 Salad Bars to Schools (SB2S) is a grant program that provides schools and districts with everything needed to implement salad bars effectively as a part of a reimbursable meal, while supporting a journey to more scratch cooking and values-aligned procurement. Our Salad Bars to Schools program grants K–12 schools everything needed to install a salad bar — including salad bar equipment and all accessories, marketing materials, and comprehensive online training courses through the School Food Institute. Open to: K-12 school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program with an enrollment of at least 100 students per school site. Learn more here.

Healthy Kids Collaborative Alaska has been invited to participate in The Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kids Collaborative, which is a year-round initiative designed to both accelerate innovation and deepen technical and professional expertise in K-12 school food. They are looking for two participants to join the program; there is no financial obligation, and working groups meet once per month for approximately 1hour. We encourage any interested school nutrition chefs or directors implementing scratch-cooking in their district to apply here. Please reach out to Sandy Curwood at sandy.curwood@culinary.edu with any questions.

Federal Updates  💡School meal nutrition standards proposed rule remains at OMB USDA's proposed rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Aligning Program Requirements with the 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, remains under review at the Office of Management and Budget, the final stage of federal clearance before the proposed rule is released for public comment. Want more? Stay up to date with the latest bills related to School Nutrition by subscribing to the "Tuesday Morning" newsletter by SNA! It is very informative and a good read.

I-Bites Podcast Meet Rhiannon Mejia, a Child Nutrition Supervisor in Texas who oversees 10 schools including elementary, middle, and high schools with innovative bistro concepts. Rhiannon shares her inspiring journey from restaurant management to school nutrition, motivated by her own childhood experiences and desire to ensure every child has access to meals. She discusses her leadership approach grounded in empathy, open communication, and patience—lessons learned from an impactful mentor. Rhiannon also highlights her district’s successful Manager-in-Training (MIT) program that identifies and develops rising leaders, including how her colleague Lisa (featured in a companion episode) trained her and continues to train new managers today. Listen here!

Team Nutrition Sign up to receive Team Nutrition updates in English and in Spanish.

DEC Food Worker Card Test Now Available! School Food Service Directors may request no-fee tests for their food service staff via email at decfwc@alaska.gov. For additional information, reach out to Laura Nielson at 907-269-6289. https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/food-worker-card/

USDA POLICY MEMOS

Regulation requires sponsoring organizations and institutions to keep Bulletins, Instructions, and USDA Policy Memorandums for reference and to apply immediately the appropriate instruction to agency programs. Please call Child Nutrition Programs, if further clarification is needed.

All Policy Memos from USDA can be located here:

SP 10-2026 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: Allocation of Funds for FY 2027

SP 09-2026 Buy American Accommodation Process for School Year 2026-2027

SP 08-2026 Expanding Fluid Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs

SP 07-2026 School Meal Programs: Reviewing Product-Based Added Sugars Limits for Breakfast Cereals, Flavored Milk, and Yogurt

SP 06-2026 Paid Lunch Equity: Guidance for School Year 2026-2027

SP 05-2026 Appropriations Act: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs

SP 04-2026 Community Eligibility Provision: Election Deadline and Annual Notification and Publication Requirements

SP 03-2026 Incorporating Local Beef into Child Nutrition Program Meals

SP 02-2026 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 Promoting Real Food In Child Nutrition Programs

SP 01-2026 Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Division of Finance and Support Services
Child Nutrition Programs
P.O. Box 110500
Juneau, AK 99811

Contact Us

Disclaimer

This newsletter contains hyperlinks to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the reader’s convenience. DEED does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.

Confidential Information

Confidential information should never be shared via email outside of the SFA’s email system.  Since email can easily be transmitted to the wrong recipient or intercepted by a third party, it could lead to a breach of confidential information.  When emailing Alaska Child Nutrition Programs, sponsors are encouraged to make arrangements with the recipient(s) to email documents with Zend To (https://drop.state.ak.us/drop/).  Please contact DEED CNP for further information.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.