Claims and Payments
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When filing monthly claims, ensure that the status of the claim is Approved and not Pending Submission. Claims in Pending Submission status will not be paid and are subject to the 60-day limitation* on claim filing. Only claims in Approved status are fully submitted for payment. Once processed, the status will change to Paid.
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Receive an unexpected payment? View the Payments tab (next to the Claims tab), find the amount that was paid, and then click the arrow (>) to the far left under Batch Number. The description of the payment will identify what items are included in the payment amount. Additionally, if the payment is less than expected, the description will show deductions such as USDA Foods storage fees.
*USDA program regulations require sponsors to file monthly claims for reimbursement, and any upward adjustments to monthly claims, to be submitted in a timely manner and no later than 60 days after the claiming month. Late claims/upward revision requests, using the one-time exception form, must be processed within 90 days after the last day of the claim month.
Pandemic EBT (PEBT) Announcement from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA)
PEBT benefits that were issued on Friday, April 14, were provided to students who attended school in person AND had COVID-19-related absences during July to December 2022. If a parent is asking about the benefit, please do not encourage them to request a replacement PEBT card unless their child was eligible for a benefit for that time period and they no longer have their card. FSSA has already seen a very sharp increase in replacement card requests, and the volume of requests will cause the process to be slowed. Many parents may mistakenly believe this issuance was like the “summer” issuance when all students eligible for free or reduced-price meals on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) received a benefit.
Please feel free to share FSSA’s PEBT webpage widely. There is an FAQ for parents as well as one for schools to help all understand how PEBT works.
IDOE Farm to School Survey - Open to all Sponsors
IDOE is collecting data about Farm to School in order to develop the best resources and training opportunities for sponsors across the state. All sponsors are encouraged to complete the brief survey regardless of their participation in Farm to School programming. All responses are anonymous. Click here to complete the survey.
IDOE Seeks Farm to School Coordinator
IDOE is seeking a farm to school coordinator as part of the USDA Farm to School State Formula Grant. The farm to school coordinator will work alongside IDOE staff members to implement initiatives for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program throughout the state. The Farm to School Coordinator is a full-time, three-year contract, lasting until September 2026. Please contact Ashley Heller for additional details on roles and responsibilities. Interested candidates should email their resume and cover letter, including compensation rates, to Ashley Heller by Friday, May 5.
USDA Food Buying Guide (FBG) New Yields
New yields are now available in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-based FBG Tool and FBG Mobile App! New yield data is available for these highly requested foods: apple bananas, chokecherries, taro, and fresh apples. Stay tuned for additional yield data releases coming soon.
Explore the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs today!
USDA Foods Invoices, Invoice Credits, and Program Fees
Confused about USDA Foods program fees? Take a look at the Invoices, Invoice Credits, and Program Fees video for information and clarification. The video provides an in-depth look at the fees and charges associated with the USDA Foods Distribution Program. To view the video, click here.
USDA Foods Allocations To End Sunday, April 30
USDA Foods allocations into schools’ inventories will end on or before Sunday, April 30, based on the school’s annual pre-order survey. Schools can view this information in CNPweb via the FDP link under the Surveys tab.
Now is the time to remove USDA Foods from the state-assigned warehouses and processors, as well as spend USDA Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program funds by Friday, June 30. USDA Foods are intended to be utilized in the school year allocated. IDOE will sweep all Direct Delivered (Brown Box) USDA Foods from all school inventories as of Friday, June 30.
Professional Development (PD) with IDOE Webinars
Registration for all upcoming training, including Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership and Culinary Skills for A+ School Meals, can be found on IDOE’s Trainings webpage.
Indiana School Nutrition Association (ISNA) Industry Summit
Join ISNA for an exciting two days of all things school nutrition on Thursday, June 15, and Friday, June 16, in Bloomington. Don't miss this opportunity for tailored professional development and networking to benefit both school nutrition operators and industry partners!
For registration and meeting agenda, click here.
PLE Guidance for SY 2023-2024: Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) Tool Exemption Requests
- Any SFA with a positive or zero balance in its non-profit school food service account as of June 30, 2022, may be granted an exemption by IDOE from the PLE Pricing Requirements.
- While not required, exempt SFAs may still use the PLE tool to complete the steps necessary to determine their target SY 2023-2024 paid lunch price, consistent with Program regulation at 7 CFR 210.14(e), and adjust the paid lunch prices accordingly. The weighted average price for 2023-2024 should be at or above $3.56. Consistent with 7 CFR 210.14(e)(4)(i), SFAs are not required to raise their paid lunch price by more than 10 cents for SY 2023-2024 from the last year they charged for paid lunches. SFAs can still choose to raise the price by more than 10 cents.
- RCCIs do not need to complete the Paid Lunch Equity Tools, as all students are free. Exception: RCCIs with day treatment centers (where students are not residents)
- SFAs wishing to apply for the PLE Exemption must complete an attestation statement verifying the SFA has a positive or zero balance in the non-profit school food service account as of June 30, 2022 (SFAs do not need to submit documentation verifying the balance, but will need to keep documentation (a bank statement, accounting software report, or ledger print-out) showing the balance in their non-profit school food service account as of June 30, 2022.
- SFAs with a negative balance in the non-profit school food service account as of June 30, 2022, must follow PLE requirements according to 7 CFR 210.14(e) when establishing their paid lunch prices for SY 2023-2024.
- PLE Tool 2023-2024, guidance, instructions, attestation statement, and common questions and answers can be found on IDOE's Financial Management webpage under the headers Pricing Guidance and Paid Lunch Equity (PLE)/PLE Tool SY 2023-2024.
For additional questions, please email SCNFinance@doe.in.gov and include “PLE Tool” and your sponsor number in the subject line.
Toolkit to Help Students and Families Maintain Medicaid Coverage
Healthy Schools Campaign is partnering with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and other organizations to disseminate a toolkit designed for schools to help inform families of steps needed to maintain their Medicaid coverage in the coming year. Developed by AASA, Georgetown Center for Children and Families, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the toolkit includes backpack fliers, newsletter blurbs, robocall scripts, and social media posts.
Friday, May 5, is School Lunch Hero Day!
Join the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and schools around the country to celebrate the school lunch heroes in your life. View School Lunch Hero Day ideas, resources, and materials here.
Fuel Up to Play 60 Equipment Grant Funding
Looking for funding to improve the healthy eating opportunities at your school? K-12 schools can apply for an equipment kit to improve access to healthy foods. To qualify for funding, schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program and have an account on the Fuel Up to Play 60 site. Not registered? Click here to join.
For more information, click on the linked equipment kit options below:
For resources and ideas on how to incorporate the equipment into your feeding program, check out these Plays from the Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook: Highlight Healthy Foods — Go Nutritious and Breakfast For Everyone — First Meal Matters.
Apply here by Tuesday, May 2.
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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