School Nutrition Programs Newsletter from the Indiana Department of Education

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School Nutrition Programs

This weekly newsletter from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is dedicated to providing education, training, and technical assistance opportunities to school nutrition professionals, helping to ensure seamless operations for those participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Programs. If you are the food service contact for your school or facility, please be certain that everyone on your team has access to this important information.


Tip of the Week

Direct Certification (DC) Lookup

Sponsors may use DC Lookup in CNPweb when a student cannot be found on their new matches download. If a student is found in DC Lookup, the student must be added to the approved student list to be in compliance with proof of eligibility record keeping requirements. Skipping this step will result in not having a DC record for the student.

Follow these steps to ensure the DC Lookup is properly saved in the system:

  1. After looking up the student, review the search results to ensure the student enrolled is the identified individual.
  2. If the correct student was matched, complete the fields marked with an asterisk. This includes student last name, first name, birth date, student ID, and the school building they attend.
  3. Click the blue “Add to Results” button next to the correct student’s name. Once added, a pop up box will appear stating the child is now directly certified. 

Follow these steps to check that the student was added:

  1. Go to “Search Approved Students” and search the child’s name, or
  2. Go to “DC Download History” and identify the saved lookup. The file name will have the date the lookup was added to results and the match source column will say “CertifyIndividual.”
  3. Click "Download" to the left of the file to view a spreadsheet with lookup student information. 

For more DC tips, check out IDOE's Direct Certification webpage.

 

Important Updates

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023

On Friday, March 3, USDA released policy memo SP 06-2023. The memo addressed the following items:

  • Crediting of starchy vegetables in the School Breakfast Program
  • Prohibition of the use of chicken from China
  • Compliance with Paid Lunch Equity requirements
  • Renaming of the Farm to School Program
  • Establishment of a non congregate meal service option in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) - IDOE guidance coming soon!
  • Establishment of a permanent Summer EBT program
  • Changes to Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)

SBW 2023

Happy National School Breakfast Week!

We hope you are enjoying National School Breakfast Week 2023: Dig In to School Breakfast!


Congratulations to the following winners of the school breakfast week giveaway: 

  • 21st Century Charter High School (Gary), 
  • Eel River Elementary School (Northwest Allen County Schools), 
  • Wayne Center Elementary School (East Noble School Corporation), 
  • Cleveland Elementary School (Elkhart Community Schools), and 
  • Most Precious Blood School (Fort Wayne).

Winners received stickers and buttons from IDOE and additional giveaway items from the American Dairy Association Indiana.

IDOE is also creating a virtual scrapbook commemorating the School Breakfast Week 2023. As you celebrate locally, consider sharing your photos* with IDOE to be included in the scrapbook! Photos can be submitted to Gretchen Huntzer.

*Please note that photos of children’s faces are not allowable unless permission has been granted by the child’s guardian for public use.


Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Webinar Recording Now Available

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing updates to the school nutrition standards in a few key areas to give children the right balance of nutrients for healthy and appealing meals. A webinar for schools, focused on the proposed rule, was held in February. A recording of the webinar is available here. Additional information on the proposed changes is also available here.

Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is open for comment until Monday, April 10. Comments may be submitted in writing by one of the following methods:

Comments may be submitted in writing by one of the following methods:

  • Online (preferred) - Visit https://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
  • Mail - Send comments to:
    School Meals Policy Division, Food and Nutrition Service
    P.O. Box 9233
    Reston, Virginia, 20195

Operations Reminders

  • Health Department Inspections
    • Each sponsor must request two inspections from the local health department annually.
    • If you have not received two inspections, as requested, please follow up with your local health department and maintain documentation of when you reached out with your request. 
    • Find a template letter for this request on IDOE’s Food Safety webpage.

 

  • After School Snack Program (ASSP) Monitoring
    • Each ASSP site must be reviewed twice annually, once within the first four weeks of operation and again at any time before the end of the school year.
    • Find ASSP monitoring forms here.

 

USDA Foods

USDA Foods Annual Pre-order (Forecast) Survey Closes This Friday, March 10

The annual pre-order (forecast) survey must be completed in the FDP link in CNPweb. Once the survey closes, it cannot be reopened. The survey must be submitted by 4 p.m. ET.


USDA Foods Annual Pre-order (Forecast) Survey Reminders

  • The survey must be completed in order to receive USDA Foods for school year 2023-2024.
  • Click the submit button as you enter your USDA Foods choices as well as when the final entry is made to ensure your school’s USDA Foods choices have been saved.
  • There will be no message confirming submission of the survey.
  • It is recommended that schools print a copy of their saved survey for their records.

Classic Delight Has Been Added to the Annual Pre-order (Forecast) Survey 

Classic Delight is now offering 110244 mozzarella cheese. This option can be found under raw products on the school year 2023-2024 annual pre-order survey.


Rich Products Corporation No Longer Offering 100193 Pork Picnic 

Rich Products Corporation is no longer offering 100193 pork picnic. If your school allocated pounds to Rich Products Corporation under the raw products button on the school year 2023-2024 annual pre-order survey, please remove them and reallocate those entitlement dollars to other pork picnic processors or other USDA Foods survey offerings.

Training and Webinar Opportunities

March National Nutrition Month Webinars

  • Purdue Nutrition Education Program (NEP) - Listen in and learn how Purdue NEP can help schools meet their nutrition education goals! They will provide an overview of the programs they offer to schools.
    • Wednesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. ET
    • Register here.

Reminders

Equipment Grant Award Notifications Delayed

Due to the immediate deadline for claim adjustments resulting from the recently discovered bug in the Direct Certification system, equipment grant award notifications have been delayed. Award notifications are now anticipated to be sent by Friday, March 17. Questions can be sent to SCNfinance@doe.in.gov. Please include "Equipment Grant" in the subject line.


Summer Meals Eligibility & Participation

Sponsors wishing to operate an open meal serving site under either SFSP or Seamless Summer Option (SSO) must first confirm the site’s eligibility. This can be done one of two ways. The site is eligible if: 

  • It is located within the attendance area of a school where at least 50% of students qualify for free and reduced meal services, or 
  • It is located in a census-eligible area, using the USDA Census Area Eligibility Map.
    • Enter the address of the site.
    • If the location is in a red zone, the site is considered area-eligible by census data.
    • Save a screenshot of the map for your records.

Note: Sites located in the attendance area of a school where at least 50% of students qualify for free and reduced meal services are eligible, even if the location is not census area-eligible.

Sponsors interested in participating in either the SFSP or SSO this summer should contact their field specialist to discuss meal service options. All sponsors must be in approved status prior to operation, and both the correct site eligibility and meal pattern must be used for meals to be reimbursed.

Upcoming Dates

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Monday, March 6, through Friday, March 10

School Breakfast Week

Friday, March 10

USDA Foods Annual Pre-order (Forecast) Survey Closes

Wednesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. ET

Purdue Nutrition Education Program Webinar

Friday, March 31

Deadline to submit October-December claim revisions due to Direct Certification Medicaid bug

Monday, April 3

January Claim Deadline

 

Additional Resources